Adsorption behaviors of perfluorooctanoic acid on aged microplastics.

The presence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment poses a significant threat to ecological safety and environmental health. Widespread microplastics (MPs) have been recognized as vectors for emerging contaminants due to human activities. However, the adsorption behaviors of PFAS on MPs, especially on aged MPs, have not been extensively investigated. This study aimed to investigate the adsorption behaviors of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on aged MPs (polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate) treated with UV irradiation and persulfate oxidation under salinity and dissolve organic matter (DOM) condition. Carbonyl index values of MPs increased after the aged treatment, indicating the production of oxygen-containing groups. The PFOA adsorption on aged MPs was impacted by the co-existence of Na+ ions and DOM. As PFOA adsorption onto aged MPs was mainly controlled by hydrophobic interaction, the electrostatic interaction also made a contribution, but there was no significant change in PFOA adsorption behavior between the pristine and aged MPs. While these findings provide insight into PFAS adsorption on aged MPs, further research is necessary to account for the complexity of the real environment. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Adsorption behaviors of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on aged microplastics were investigated. Hydrophobic interaction mainly controlled PFOA adsorption on aged microplastics (MPs). Co-existence dissolve organic matter and salinity influenced PFOA adsorption behaviors on aged MPs.

Assessment of probiotic Bacillus velezensis supplementation to reduce Campylobacter jejuni colonization in chickens.

Campylobacter jejuni continues to be a major public health issue worldwide. Poultry are recognized as the main reservoir for this foodborne pathogen. Implementing measures to decrease C. jejuni colonization on farms has been regarded as the most effective strategy to control the incidence of campylobacteriosis. The probiotics supplementation has been regarded as an attractive approach against C. jejuni in chickens. Here the inhibitory effects of one probiotic B. velezensis isolate CAU277 against C. jejuni was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro antimicrobial activity showed that the supernatant of B. velezensis exhibited the most pronounced inhibitory effects on Campylobacter strains compared to other bacterial species. When co-cultured with B. velezensis, the growth of C. jejuni reduced significantly from 7.46 log10 CFU/mL (24 h) to 1.02 log10 CFU/mL (48 h). Further, the antimicrobial activity of B. velezensis against C. jejuni remained stable under a broad range of temperature, pH, and protease treatments. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that oral administration of B. velezensis significantly reduced the colonization of C. jejuni by 2.0 log10 CFU/g of feces in chicken cecum at 15 d postinoculation. In addition, the supplementary of B. velezensis significantly increased microbial species richness and diversity in chicken ileum, especially enhanced the bacterial population of Alistipes and Christensenellaceae, and decreased the existence of Lachnoclostridium. Our study presents that B. velezensis possesses antimicrobial activities against C. jejuni and promotes microbiota diversity in chicken intestines. These findings indicate a potential to develop an effective probiotic additive to control C. jejuni infection in chicken.

Formulary Coverage of Brand-Name Adalimumab and Biosimilars Across Medicare Part D Plans.

This study examines formulary coverage of brand-name adalimumab and biosimilars across Medicare Part D plans.

Satisfactory Tensile Strength and Strain of Recyclable Polyurethane with a Trimaleimide Structure for Thermal Self-Healing and Anticorrosive Coatings.

Bismaleimide (BMI) is often used as the cross-linking reagent in Diels-Alder (D-A)-type intrinsic self-healing materials (DISMs) to promote the connectivity of damaged surfaces based on reversible D-A bond formation on the molecular scale. Until now, although DISMs have exhibited great potential in the applications of various sensors, electronic skin, and artificial muscles, it is still difficult to prepare DISMs with satisfactory self-healing abilities and high tensile strengths and strains at the same time, thus largely limiting their applications in self-healing anticorrosive coatings. Herein, symmetrical trimaleimide (TMI) was successfully synthesized, and trimaleimide-structured D-A self-healing polyurethane (TMI-DA-PU) was prepared via the reversible D-A reaction (cycloaddition of furan and maleimide). As a DISM, TMI-DA-PU exhibits apparently higher self-healing efficiency (98.7%), tensile strength (25.4 MPa), and strain (1378%) compared to bismaleimide-structured D-A self-healing polyurethane (BMI-DA-PU) (self-healing efficiency, 90.2%; tensile strength, 19.3 MPa; strain, 1174%). In addition, TMI-DA-PU shows a high recycling efficiency (>95%) after 4 cycles of recycling. A series of characterizations indicate that TMI provides more monoene rings as the self-healing sites, forms denser cross-linked structures compared to BMI, and is, thus, more appropriate to be used for DISM applications. Moreover, the barrier abilities of coatings can be semi-quantitatively expressed by the impedance value at 0.01 Hz (|Z|0.01 Hz). The |Z|0.01 Hz value of the TMI-DA-PU coating is 3.93 × 109 Ω cm2 on day 0, which is significantly higher than that of the BMI-DA-PU coating (6.76 × 108 Ω cm2 on day 0), indicating that the denser rigid cross-linked structure of TMI results in the small porosity in the TMI-DA-PU coating, thus effectively improving the anticorrosion performance. The construction of DISMs with the structure of TMI demonstrates immense potential in self-healing anticorrosive coatings.

ε-Polylysine organic ultra-long room-temperature phosphorescent materials based on phosphorescent molecule doping.

Achieving long-lived room-temperature phosphorescence from pure organic amorphous polymers is attractive, and afterglow materials with colour-tunable and multiple-stimuli-responsive afterglow are particularly important, but only few materials with these characteristics have been reported so far. Herein, a facile and general method is reported to construct a series of ε-polylysine (ε-PL)-based afterglow materials with tunable colour (from blue to red) and long life. By doping guest molecules into ε-PL to obtain composite materials, the polymer matrix provides a rigid environment for luminescent groups, resulting in amorphous polymers with different RTPs. In this system, the materials even have impressive humidity-stimulated responses, and the phosphorescence emission exhibits excitation-dependent and time-dependent properties. The humidity-responsive afterglow is caused by the destruction of hydrogen bonds and quenching of triplet excitons. The time-dependent afterglow should stem from the formation of diversified RTP emissive species with comparable but different lifetimes. 9,10-diaminophene has Ex-De properties in the film doping state. With the change of excitation wavelength (254 nm to 365 nm), the emission wavelength shifts from 461 nm to 530 nm, accompanied by the change of emission colour from blue to green. In addition, the phosphorescence life of the film is the longest, up to 2504.7 ms, and the afterglow lasts up to 15 s, which is conducive to its applications in anti-counterfeiting and information encryption.

Nostalgia, Social Media, and Subjective Wellbeing: The Dualistic and Conditional Effects of Nostalgia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Drastic lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have caused many people to undergo nostalgic longing for the past. Drawing on the regulatory model of nostalgia, we built a research model to examine the dualistic effects of nostalgia on subjective wellbeing, using self-continuity as a mediator and social media use as a moderator. The findings from an online survey (N = 373) indicated that when nostalgia is associated with an enhanced sense of self-continuity, it has a positive indirect effect on subjective wellbeing. In contrast, when not mediated by such a restorative function, nostalgia has a direct negative impact on subjective wellbeing. Both of these (positive) indirect and (negative) direct effects were moderated by social media usage, suggesting that social media use is a crucial communication-related boundary condition that reinforces or mitigates the dualistic effects of nostalgia. This study offers contributions to the literature by uncovering distinct pathways through which nostalgia carries differing implications for subjective wellbeing in times of crisis, as well as by identifying social media use as a boundary condition under which such dualistic roles of nostalgia manifest.

Out-of-Pocket Costs for Long-Acting Injectable and Oral Antipsychotics Among Medicare Patients With Schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to describe out-of-pocket (OOP) costs among beneficiaries with schizophrenia differing in Medicare Part D low-income subsidy (LIS) status. METHODS: National 100% Medicare claims were used to identify all adult fee-for-service Medicare Part D beneficiaries with schizophrenia who used antipsychotics in 2019 (N=283,813). Proportions of patients by LIS status, OOP costs per prescription, and annual OOP costs were reported. Results were stratified by type of antipsychotic received (oral antipsychotic [OAP], first-generation long-acting injectable [FGA-LAI], or second-generation long-acting injectable [SGA-LAI]). RESULTS: In the final sample, 90.3% of beneficiaries had full LIS status, paying minimal copayments (29.6% institutionalized full LIS, paying $0; 42.2% noninstitutionalized full LIS, ≤100% federal poverty level [FPL], paying $1.25-$3.80; and 18.5% noninstitutionalized full LIS, >100% FPL, paying $3.40-$8.50). Only 0.9% of the sample received partial LIS status, and 8.8% had a non-LIS status. Non-LIS beneficiaries had the highest OOP costs, followed by partial LIS beneficiaries. Before entering catastrophic coverage, median OOP costs per prescription for generic OAPs, brand-name OAPs, FGA-LAIs, and SGA-LAIs were $10.85, $171.97, $26.09, and $394.28, respectively, for non-LIS beneficiaries and $3.69, $105.82, $9.35, and $229.20, respectively, for partial LIS beneficiaries. The annual total OOP costs varied substantially by LIS status (full LIS, $0-$130.79; partial LIS, $458.96; non-LIS, $998.81). CONCLUSIONS: Most Medicare beneficiaries with schizophrenia qualified for full LIS and faced minimal OOP costs for both OAPs and LAIs. The remainder (i.e., partial LIS and non-LIS beneficiaries) faced substantial OOP costs, both per prescription and annually, especially for SGA-LAIs.

Antiretroviral Treatment Gaps and Adherence Among People with HIV in the U.S. Medicare Program.

Approximately one-quarter of people with HIV (PWH) in the U.S. receive coverage through the Medicare program; however, no prior real-world study has examined antiretroviral therapy (ART) gaps and adherence and associated factors in this population. This retrospective cohort analysis used 2013-2018 national Medicare fee-for-service claims data to identify all PWH initiated on a new ART regimen including protease inhibitors [PI], non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NNRTIs], or integrase strand transfer inhibitors [INSTIs] between 1/1/2014 and 12/31/2017. Study outcomes included ART adherence (based on proportion of days covered [PDC]), continuous treatment gaps ranging from 1 to 6 days to ≥ 180 days, and discontinuation (continuous gap ≥ 90 days) in the 12-month follow-up period. Multivariable regressions were used to assess factors associated with ART adherence and discontinuation. The final sample included 48,627 PWH (mean age: 54.5 years, 74.4% male, 47.5% White, 89.8% disabled). Approximately 53.0% of PWH had a PDC ≥ 0.95, 30.2% had a PDC between 0.70 and < 0.95, and 16.8% had PDC < 0.70. Treatment gaps of at least ≥ 7-days (55.2%) and ≥ 30-days (26.2%) were common and 10.1% PWH discontinued treatment. Younger age, female sex, Black race, higher comorbidity score, mental health conditions, and substance use disorder were associated with higher odds of lower adherence and discontinuation (all p-values < 0.05). In conclusion, suboptimal adherence and treatment gaps in ART use were commonly observed among PWH in Medicare. Interventions and policies to mitigate barriers to adherence are urgently needed in this population to both improve their survival and increase the potential for ending the HIV epidemic in the US.

Analysis of cancer-associated fibroblasts in cervical cancer by single-cell RNA sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: Since scRNA-seq is an effective tool to study tumor heterogeneity, this paper intends to reveal the differences of cervical cancer in patients at the individual cell level by scRNA-seq, and focus on the biological functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in cervical cancer, facilitating the provision of a new interpretation of the heterogeneity of the microenvironment of cervical cancer, and an in-depth exploration of the pathogenesis of cervical cancer as well as pursuit of effective means of treatment intake. METHODS: 3 cervical cancer specimens were collected by clinical surgery for single-cell RNA sequencing. Cell suspensions of fresh cervical cancer tissues were prepared, and cDNA libraries were created and sequenced on the machine. Furthermore, the sequencing data were analyzed using bioinformatics, including descending clustering of cells, identification of cell populations, mimetic time series analysis, inferCNV, cell communication analysis, and identification of transcription factors. RESULTS: A total of 9 cell types were identified, encompassing T cells, epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, CAFs, endothelial cells, macrophages, B cells, lymphocytes, and plasma cells. CAFs were further divided into three cell subtypes, named type1 cells, type2 cells, and type3 cells. With key transcription factors for the three cells, TCF21, ZC3H11A, and MYEF2 obtained, this research revealed the communication relationship between CAFs and several other cells, and found an important role of CAFs in the MK signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: scRNA-seq technology contributed to exploring the tumor heterogeneity of cervical cancer more deeply, and also further gaining insight into the biological functions of CAFs in cervical cancer.

Exaggerated interaction of biofilm-developed microplastics and contaminants in aquatic environments.

Biofilm-developed microplastics (MPs) may serve as important vectors for contaminants in aquatic environments. Elucidating the interactions between biofilm-developed MPs and coexisting contaminants is crucial for understanding the vector capacities of MPs. However, little is known about how the adverse effects of contaminants on MP surface-colonized biofilms influence their vector capacity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the interaction mechanism of biofilms colonizing the surface of MPs with coexisting contaminants using microcosm experiments and biofilm characterization techniques. The results indicated that the biofilm biomass on polystyrene increased over time, providing an additional abundance of oxygen-containing functional groups and promoting Cd accumulation by biofilm-developed polystyrene. Moreover, as a coexisting contaminant, Cd exerted adverse effects such as additional mortality of microorganisms and senescence and MP-colonized biofilm shedding. Consequently, the contaminant vector capacity of biofilm-developed MPs could be mitigated. Thus, the adverse effects of coexisting contaminants on biofilms influenced the ability of MPs to act as vectors in aquatic environments. Neglecting the negative effects of contaminants on biofilms may lead to an overestimation of the contaminant vector capacity of biofilm-developed MPs. This study provides support for more accurate assessment of the interactions between biofilm-developed MPs as vectors and contaminants in aquatic environments.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Use in a National Sample of Medicare Beneficiaries With Schizophrenia.

This cross-sectional study assesses the racial and ethnic disparities in long-acting injectable antipsychotic use in a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries with schizophrenia.

Unraveling the combined toxicity and removal mechanisms of fluoxetine and sertraline co-contaminants by the freshwater microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (FLX) and sertraline (SER), are among the most widely detected pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments, and they usually occur as mixtures. However, little is known about the combined toxicity of SSRI mixtures to microalgae and the associated removal mechanisms. This study investigated the combined toxicity of FLX and SER to the growth, photosynthetic activity, and antioxidant system of Chlorella pyrenoidosa and their removal mechanisms. The results showed that FLX and SER strongly inhibited microalgal growth with 96 h EC50 values of 493 and 61.1 µg/L, respectively. Additionally, the combined toxicity of FLX and SER towards microalgal growth exhibited an additive effect. After 4 days of short-term exposure, FLX, SER, and their mixtures caused photosynthetic damage and oxidative stress in microalgae, and the mixture's toxicity was stronger than those of individuals. However, the adverse effects on microalgal growth, photosynthetic activity, and antioxidant system were alleviated with increasing exposure time. Meanwhile, C. pyrenoidosa efficiently removed FLX (67.59%-99.08%) and SER (94.92%-99.11%) individually after 11 days of cultivation. Biodegradation (59.25%-86.21%) was the prominent removal mechanism of FLX, while both biodegradation (48.08%-88.17%) and bioaccumulation (4.74%-43.38%) contributed significantly to SER removal. The co-existence of FLX and SER lowered the removal rate and biodegradation amount of both compounds. Besides, SER inhibited C. pyrenoidosa's N-demethylation and O-dealkylation of FLX, while co-existing with FLX inhibited the excretion of the N-deamination product of SER from microalgal cells. Furthermore, the principal component analysis indicated that the removal performance of FLX, SER, and their mixtures correlated strongly to the microalgae's physiological and biochemical states. These results highlighted the significance of co-contamination during ecological risk assessments and microalgae-based bioremediation of SSRIs.

The bright and dark sides of social media use during COVID-19 lockdown: Contrasting social media effects through social liability vs. social support.

There exist ongoing discussions regarding whether, when, or why heightened reliance on social media becomes benefits or drawbacks, especially in times of crisis. Using the concepts of social liability, social support, and cognitive appraisal theory, this study examines distinct theoretical pathways through which the relational use of social media has contrasting impacts on cognitive appraisals of and emotional responses to the COVID-19 lockdown. We collected online survey data from 494 social media users in the U.S. during the COVID-19 lockdown. The results based on structural equation modeling (SEM) showed double-edged social media effects. When social media use results in perceived social support, it has a favorable impact on coping appraisals of the COVID-19 lockdown. This, in turn, is associated with lower levels of negative affective responses, such as anger, anxiety, and loneliness. In contrast, when social media use results in increased social liability (i.e., obligation to provide support to others), it negatively impacts cognitive appraisals and affective responses. The study makes significant contributions by unpacking two distinct theoretical mechanisms underlying social media effects: particularly social liability which has been underexplored but was found to be an essential concept to explain the dualistic impact of social media.

Antipsychotic utilization, healthcare resource use and costs, and quality of care among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with schizophrenia in the United States.

BACKGROUND: No research to date has examined antipsychotic (AP) use, healthcare resource use (HRU), costs, and quality of care among those with schizophrenia in the Medicare program despite it serving as the primary payer for half of individuals with schizophrenia in the US. OBJECTIVES: To provide national estimates and assess regional variation in AP treatment utilization, HRU, costs, and quality measures among Medicare beneficiaries with schizophrenia. METHODS: Cross-sectional descriptive analysis of 100% Medicare claims data from 2019. The sample included all adult Medicare beneficiaries with continuous fee-for-service coverage and ≥1 inpatient and/or ≥2 outpatient claims with a diagnosis for schizophrenia in 2019. Summary statistics on AP use; HRU and cost; and quality measures were reported at the national, state, and county levels. Regional variation was measured using the coefficient of variation (CoV). RESULTS: We identified 314,888 beneficiaries with schizophrenia. About 91% used any AP; 20% used any long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAI); and 14% used atypical LAIs. About 28% of beneficiaries had ≥1 hospitalization and 47% had ≥1 emergency room (ER) visits, the vast majority of which were related to mental health (MH). Total annual all-cause, MH, and schizophrenia-related costs were $23,662, $15,000 and $12,109, respectively. Among those with hospitalizations, 18.4% and 27.3% had readmission within 7 and 30 days and 56% and 67% had a physician visit and AP fill within 30 days post-discharge, respectively. Overall, 81% of beneficiaries were deemed adherent to their AP medications. Larger interstate variations were observed in LAI use than AP use (CoV: 0.21 vs 0.02). County-level variations were larger than state-level variations for all measures. CONCLUSIONS: In this first study examining a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries with schizophrenia, we found low utilization rates of LAIs and high levels of hospital admissions/readmissions and ER visits. State and county-level variations were also found in these measures.

Campylobacter jejuni infection induces dynamic expression of avian host defense peptides in vitro and in vivo.

Campylobacter jejuni is considered as the leading cause of worldwide foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis. Chicken is the main reservoir of C. jejuni. Avian innate immune responses to C. jejuni remain poorly defined. Chicken host defense peptides (HDPs) are the major components of avian innate immune system. This study aimed to characterize the chicken HDPs responses to C. jejuni in vitro and in vivo. In the HD11 macrophage cell line, the HDPs, including AvBD1-2, CATH1-3, AvBD7, AvBD4, and AvBD6, were relatively higher expressed in untreated cells, whereas the expressions were suppressed after C. jejuni infection. In contrast, C. jejuni infection significantly increased the expression of the lower expressed HDPs, such as AvBD3, AvBD5, AvBD8-14, and CATHB1, in untreated cells. In the chicken challenge experiment, the immune tissues of spleens and cecal tonsils were collected from C. jejuni-infected and uninfected chickens at 1, 3 and 15 day post inoculation (DPI). In spleens of C. jejuni-infected chickens, only AvBD14 expression was elevated at 1 DPI. The majority of avian HDPs were significantly up-regulated at 3 DPI and dramatically decreased to the levels of uninfected controls at 15 DPI. In chicken cecal tonsils, only AvBD9 and AvBD14 were significantly up-regulated at 1 DPI with C. jejuni infection. Collectively, C. jejuni infection induced dynamic expression of chicken HDPs in both macrophage HD11 and immune tissues of chickens. Suppression of chicken HDPs expression may be an evasion strategy of C. jejuni for persistent colonization in chicken intestine by circumventing the chicken immune system.

The Role of Ferroptosis-Related Molecules and Significance of Ferroptosis Score in Cervical Cancer.

Background: Ferroptosis, a form of cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, may be a potential treatment for many cancers, including cervical cancer (CC). However, the regulation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the process of ferroptosis and whether ferroptosis inducers could increase the cytotoxicity of conventional chemotherapy drugs remain to be further elucidated. Methods: We analyzed the variation of 55 differentially ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and the influence of mutations in CC patients. The patients with CC were classified into two ferroptosis clusters by the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm. The principal components analysis (PCA) was used to measure the ferroptosis score (FerroScore) in patients with CC. Besides, FerroScore was used to predict the sensitivity of chemotherapy and responses to immunotherapy in patients with CC. Finally, experiments were performed to verify the regulatory effect of AC026790.1 on erastin-induced ferroptosis, as well as the effect of erastin in combination with cisplatin on the toxicity of CC cells (SiHa, HeLa). Result: There were significant differences in the overall survival and immune cell infiltration between the two ferroptosis clusters. Patients with low FerroScore were more sensitive to chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin and docetaxel. The low-FerroScore group had higher CD8+ T cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression, demonstrating that patients with lower FerroScores were more sensitive to immunotherapy, which was consistent with the result of the submap method. In vitro, overexpression of AC026790.1 could promote erastin-induced ferroptosis, and the combination of erastin and cisplatin could increase the toxicity of CC cells. Conclusion: FerroScore has a potential prognostic value for CC that may provide a reference for chemotherapy and immunotherapy. LncRNA AC026790.1 can influence ferroptosis, and the combination of ferroptosis inducers and chemotherapy drugs can provide a new perspective on cancer treatment.

Th17 cells regulate the progress of anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of immune regulation of Th17 in anti-NMDAR encephalitis disease. METHODS: This is a retrospective study with 83 subjects included. All subjects were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University from April 2018 to May 2021, including 35 patients with anti-NMDA encephalitis in an encephalitis group, and 48 patients with non-inflammatory central neuropathy in a control group. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples were collected from two groups of patients, and the changes of Th17 cell, immunophenotypic characteristics, differentiation pathways and the effect were analyzed accordingly. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis were isolated and treated with different cytokines, namely IL-1ß+IL-6 group, IL-1ß+IL-23 group, IL-6+IL-23 group, IL-1ß+IL-23+IL-6 group and TGF-ß group. After co-culture, the proportion of Th17 cells and the expression level of Th17 cell-specific transcription factor RORγt mRNA were examined. RESULTS: Th17 cells in CSF were dramatically uplifted in the encephalitis group. In terms of cell phenotype, the percentages of CD62L and CCR7 expressions in Th17 cell phenotype were significantly increased in the encephalitis group. IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-7 and IL-23 mRNA in PBMCs and IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-7 and IL-23 in serum were remarkably uplifted in the encephalitis group. The mRNA levels of Th17 and Th17 cell-specific transcription factor RORγ T were the highest in the IL-1ß+IL-6+IL-23 group but the lowest in the TGF-ß group. Th17 in CSF of patients with poor prognosis was notably higher than that of those with good prognosis. CONCLUSION: The proportion of Th17 cells in patients with NMDAR encephalitis and the expressions of corresponding differentiation promoting cytokines were increased, and Th17 is closely associated with patients' treatment and prognosis. Th17 cells play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and progression of anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

Assessment of US Pharmacies Contracted With Health Care Institutions Under the 340B Drug Pricing Program by Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics.

This cross-sectional study assesses pharmacy participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program following the 2010 expansion and the extent to which growth has occurred in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

(In)consistency matters: An account of understanding the perception of inconsistent expressions on social media.

In their daily use of social media, most people cannot maintain consistency in every message they present, leading observers to experience a feeling of inconsistency. Building on computer-mediated interpersonal theories [i.e., attribution theory, warranting theory, and authenticity model of computer-mediated communication (CMC)], this study aims to explore how people interpret and reconcile perceived inconsistent expressions on social media. Through thematic analysis of data obtained from six focus groups, two main themes were extracted: the origin of perceived inconsistency on social media and the strategies for reconciling perceived inconsistency. Specifically, three forms of perceived inconsistent information were identified: those within the same account; those between public and private accounts; and those between online and offline settings. Additionally, three types of reconciliation strategies were distilled from participants' narratives: relying on authentic representation; engaging in perspective-taking to compensate for situational factors; and inferring inner motives behind acting inconsistently. With these two themes, this study proposes a two-stage model of processing inconsistency (i.e., reasoning from inconsistency to consistency) in CMC. This model suggests that several factors-including perceived authenticity, social categorical cues, and relationship or familiarity between observers and a presenter-are involved in perceiving inconsistent information and determine the outcomes of interpersonal evaluations. These findings enhance our understanding of online interpersonal perceptions.

Circ_0049472 regulates the damage of Aß-induced SK-N-SH and CHP-212 cells by mediating the miR-107/KIF1B axis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that seriously affects the life and health of the elderly. Studies have found that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are associated with human diseases, including AD. Hsa_circ_0049472 has been uncovered to be overexpressed in AD, but the role of circ_0049472 remains unclear. AD patients were recruited to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples. Amyloid beta (Aß)-induced SK-N-SH and CHP-212 cells were used as the AD cell models in vitro. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to assess the expression of circ_0049472, microRNA-107 (miR-107) and kinesin family member 1B (KIF1B). Cell counting kit-8 assay tested the cell viability, and flow cytometry measured cell apoptosis. The levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), BCL2 Associated X (Bax) and kinesin family member 1B (KIF1B) protein were examined by western blot. In addition, the relative inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The malondialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured by relative kits. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and RNA pull-down assay verified the relationship between miR-107 and circ_0049472 or KIF1B. Circ_0049472 and KIF1B were overexpressed in AD patient-derived cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples, as well as Aß-induced SK-N-SH and CHP-212 cells. Silencing circ_0049472 promoted cell proliferation, and inhibited cell apoptosis in Aß-induced SK-N-SH and CHP-212 cells. MiR-107 was a target of circ_0049472. MiR-107 silencing abolished the cell viability and apoptosis affected by down-regulation of circ_0049472 in Aß-induced SK-N-SH and CHP-212 cells. Besides, miR-107 targeted KIF1B, and overexpressed KIF1B reverted miR-107 elevation-mediated effects on cell apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress of Aß-induced SK-N-SH and CHP-212 cells. Circ_0049472 modulated KIF1B by serving as a miR-107 decoy, thereby mediating Aß-induced neurotoxicity, suggesting that circ_0049472 may be involved in AD pathogenesis.