Androgen deprivation therapy, neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy, and adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer: a multi-center real-world retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Determining the potential benefit of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and adjuvant ADT in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (LAPC) undergoing complete resection. METHODS: 139 patients diagnosed with cT3-4, or cN+ LAPC in Xiangya Hospital and The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China from 2010 to 2021 were collected. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) of patients were assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional risk analysis. We also analyzed the functional outcomes of two subgroups of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP). RESULTS: Of the 182 patients with cT3-4, or cN+ LAPC, 139 patients (76.4%) were enrolled in the study with a 5-year survival rate of 82.3%. 45 patients (32.4%) received ADT alone, 46 patients (33.1%) received neoadjuvant ADT before surgery, and the remaining 48 patients (34.5%) received surgery with adjuvant ADT. Neoadjuvant ADT before surgery and surgery with adjuvant ADT were associated with significantly improved survival compared with ADT alone. Multivariate Cox models showed that neoadjuvant ADT before surgery (hazard ratio [HR], 0.29; 95% CI 0.13-0.92) or surgery with adjuvant ADT (HR, 0.26; 95% CI 0.16-0.78) was associated with improved CSS compared with ADT alone. Regional lymph node metastasis, positive lymphovascular invasion, and Gleason score 9 + were independent predictors of LAPC CSS and OS. More patients in the neoadjuvant ADT before surgery group achieved final continence status within 12 months after surgery (93.48% v 77.08%). CONCLUSION: CSS and OS were significantly prolonged in cT3-4, or cN+ LAPC patients who received neoadjuvant ADT before surgery and surgery with adjuvant ADT compared to ADT alone.

A Task-driven Adversarial Channel Selection Method for Binary Classification Based on Magnetocardiography.

As the number of sensors in magnetocardiography (MCG) arrays increases to capture detailed cardiac activity, some channels contribute minimally to task performance, resulting in data redundancy and resource consumption. Although existing methods can reduce the number of channels required to meet task demands, they often struggle to balance computational time and the accuracy of the selected channels and overlook the scalability of the selected channels. This limitation means that when environmental conditions change, or when sensors malfunction, redesigning channel configurations becomes necessary, which increases experimental uncertainties. This study introduces a task-driven adversarial channel selection method tailored for binary classification of MCG signals. The optimal channel combination is determined through a group-wise search using a heuristic algorithm, whose objective function is designed to maximize the difference between the classification accuracy and cosine similarity of the selected channel. In evaluations using an MCG dataset from Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, the proposed method successfully reduced the number of channels from 36 to 5 without compromising classification performance. Furthermore, it outperforms existing hybrid sequential forward search method by achieving comparable accuracy with fewer channels, while also demonstrating superior scalability compared to both hybrid sequential forward search and pearson-rank methods. This approach strikes a balance between computational consumption and accuracy, while improving the scalability of the selected channel combinations, enhancing the efficiency and practicality of the MCG system.

Global burden of lung cancer in women of childbearing age attributable to ambient particulate matter pollution: 1990-2021.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the global burden of lung cancer due to ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution in women of childbearing age from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis utilizing data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021, with a focus on the temporal trends of the lung cancer burden attributable to ambient PM2.5 among women of childbearing age. RESULTS: In 2021, the global mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) number of lung cancer burden attributable to ambient PM2.5 among women of childbearing age were approximately 5205 and 247,211, respectively. The rate of lung cancer attributable to ambient PM2.5 among women of childbearing age increased between 1990 and 2021, with the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) increasing from 0.22 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]; 0.13 to 0.33) to 0.25 (95% UI; 0.14 to 0.37; average annual percent change [AAPC] = 0.40) and the age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) increasing from 10.39 (95% UI; 5.96 to 15.72) to 12.06 (95% UI; 6.83 to 17.51; AAPC = 0.41). The middle sociodemographic index (SDI) region, East Asia, and China had the heaviest burden, while the high SDI region showed the highest decrease. ASMR and ASDR exhibited an inverted U-shaped relationship with the SDI. CONCLUSIONS: From 1990 to 2021, the lung cancer burden attributable to ambient PM2.5 among women of childbearing age exhibited an increasing trend. Furthermore, increasing attention should be paid to the middle SDI region, East Asia, and China, as ambient PM pollution remains a critical target for intervention.

An Ionization-Based Aerosol Sensor and Its Performance Study.

In recent years, with the rapid development of new energy vehicles, the safety issues of lithium-ion batteries have attracted attentions from all sectors of society. Research has found that during the thermal runaway process of lithium-ion batteries, aerosol emissions usually occur earlier than other gases. Accurate and timely measurement of these aerosol concentrations can help to warn the power battery pack fires. However, existing aerosol sensors are unable to meet the requirements of real-time monitoring and high precision. This article proposes an ionization mechanism based aerosol sensor that works at principles of field emission, field charging and gas discharge, and investigates its static and dynamic response characteristics. The sensor is manufactured and assembled using Microelectro Mechanical Systems processing technology. The sensor exhibits superior performances in terms of range, sensitivity, nonlinearity, repeatability, response time, and other aspects. The study provides a new solution for current aerosol detection with great potential for application.

Harnessing Near-Infrared Light for Highly Efficient Photocatalysis.

Near-infrared (NIR) light, accounting for approximately 50% of solar light, cannot directly excite photocatalytic reactions due to its lower energy, which severely restricts the photocatalytic solar energy conversion efficiency and hinders the application of photocatalysis. To overcome this dilemma, some viable strategies have been proposed to harness NIR light for enhancing photocatalytic performance based on material structure, composition, and function designs, and obvious progresses have been witnessed. In this review, the basic principles and representative advances in photocatalyst heterojunction designs (including p-n junctions, S-scheme, Z-scheme, and type-ІІ heterojunctions), photocatalyst composition and function designs (such as preparing rare earth element doped upconversion photocatalysts, rare earth upconversion photocatalytic hybrids and triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion photocatalytic composites), and photothermal-photocatalytic bifunction designs for NIR light utilization are exclusively scrutinized. Meanwhile, the applications of the above-mentioned NIR responsive photocatalyst composites in energy and environmental fields are summarized. Importantly, the challenges and outlooks in the field of NIR light harnessing for efficient photocatalysis are proposed, which may provide theoretical and experimental guidance to those working in solar energy conversion and utilization and other related fields.

[Interaction of hypertensive comorbidity patterns and social participation on depressive symptoms].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between hypertensive comorbidity patterns and social participation and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients. METHODS: Using the data from the 2015, 2018 and 2020 of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 2786 middle and elderly adults aged 45 and above with hypertension were included. Data analysis was performed in Stata 17.0 statistical software, using frequency and percentage to describe baseline characteristics. The generalized estimation equation(GEE) was used to to analyze the data, and GEE was constructed with the depressive symptoms of middle and elderly people as the dependent variable. The unifactorial and multifactorial analysis of the effects of hypertensive comorbidity patterns and social participation on depressive symptoms, and the influence of the interaction between hypertensive comorbidity patterns and social participation on depressive symptoms were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the baseline characteristics of 2786 middle and older adults with hypertension, 2319(83.24%) had hypertensive comorbidity and 1558(55.92%) had social participant. The result of unifactorial GEE analysis of depressive symptoms in middle and older adults showed that the risk of depressive symptoms was higher in hypertensive comorbidity than in hypertension without comorbidity(OR=2.31, 95%CI 1.97-2.71, P<0.01), and lower in middle and older adults with social participation than in those without social participation(OR=0.71, 95%CI 0.64-0.78, P<0.01). The result of multifactorial GEE analysis of depressive symptoms in middle and older adults showed that the risk of depressive symptoms was higher in hypertensive comorbidity than in hypertension without comorbidity(OR=2.06, 95%CI 1.75-2.41, P<0.01), and lower in middle and older adults with social participation than in those without social participation(OR=0.78, 95%CI 0.70-0.87, P<0.01). Analysis of the interaction of hypertensive comorbidity and social participation on depressive symptoms in middle and older adults showed that middle and older adults with hypertensive comorbidity and no social participation had a 2.20 times higher risk of depressive symptoms than those with hypertension without comorbidity and no social participation(OR=2.20, 95%CI 1.78-2.72, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Comorbidity is severe in the hypertensive population, and social participation in the hypertensive comorbidity population may reduce the risk of developing depressive symptoms.

Development of ROS-sensitive capofungin hydrogel by crosslinking chitosan with four-arm polyethylene glycol derivative for treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Both exogenous and endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) play pivotal roles in promoting the hyphal formation of Candida albicans (CA), which suggests that clearing ROS could inhibit CA hyphae formation. A ROS-sensitive hydrogel (CAS@4Arm-PB/CS) was formulated by using a novel four-arm polyethylene glycol (4Arm-PEG) derivative (4Arm-PB) as a crosslinking agent, chitosan (CS) as the hydrogel matrix, and caspofungin (CAS) as the antifungal drug against CA. The ROS-sensitivity, disintegration mechanism, crosslinking action, swelling degree, microstructure, modulus, and rheological properties of 4Arm-PB were characterized. According to the results, 5.0 % 4Arm-PB could quickly and efficiently cross-link 0.5 mg/mL of CS. The ROS-sensitivity of 4Arm-PB was 10-50 µM, indicating a strong ROS sensitivity. The in vitro and in vivo anti-CA results indicated that CAS@4Arm-PB/CS not only cleared endogenous and exogenous ROS and inhibited the formation of CA hyphae and biofilm but also contributed beneficially to the treatment of VVC mice caused by CA infection, implying a certain safety aspect and an in vivo applicability. This research introduces a novel functional crosslinking agent for CS hydrogel formulation, presenting a new avenue for hydrogel-based drug delivery systems and therapeutic strategies for VVC treatment.

Reactive oxygen species sensitive nanomicelles promote the antifungal activity of ketoconazole against Candida albicans in vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Excessive local accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) leads to oxidative stress and aggravates inflammation. This study aimed to optimize and synthesize four ROS-sensitive polyethylene glycol (PEG)-boride polymers (PB, PCB, BPB, and BCPCB). A nanomicelle (BCPCB-K) was constructed using BCPCB-encapsulated ketoconazole (KTZ). Finally, the depolymerization principle and ROS-sensitive drug release of BCPCB-K as well as its anti-Candida albicans (CA) and therapeutic effects on mice with VVC were explored through in vitro and in vivo experiments. BCPCB-K exhibited low toxicity to mammalian cells in vitro and good biocompatibility in vivo. It also improved the dispersion and solubility of the hydrophobic drug KTZ. Furthermore, BCPCB-K simultaneously scavenged ROS and released the drug, thus facilitating the antifungal and VVC-treating effects of KTZ. Overall, the findings of this study broadened the application of ROS-sensitive materials in the drug-loading and antifungal fields and provided a strategy for VVC treatment.

Adaptation and Validation of Learned Helplessness Scale in Chinese Law School Students.

Purpose: This study aims to translate and validate the Learned Helplessness Scale (LHS) for use in the educational context and specifically among Chinese law school students. Understanding learned helplessness in the context of Chinese law students can provide unique insights into the interaction of legal education, psychological health, and cultural influences, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of learned helplessness. Methods: A total of 711 Chinese college students from two law schools participated in this study. The Learned Helplessness Scale (LHS) was translated into Chinese using forward and backward translation. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and construct validity were conducted to assess the dimensionality of the Chinese version of the LHS (Chinese LHS). Results: The exploratory factor analysis indicated that the Chinese LHS has a four-factor structure consisting of 14 items, which accounted for 50% of the total variance. The subsequent confirmatory factor analysis further supported this four-factor structure. The internal consistency of the Chinese LHS was found to be medium to high, with Cronbach's α values ranging from 0.63 to 0.87 for the subfactors, and 0.79 for the total scale. In addition, concurrent validity is also confirmed. Conclusion: The 14-item version of the Chinese LHS is a psychometric sound instrument for assessing learned helplessness among Chinese law school students.

Conditional survival of male breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of male breast cancer has been increasing in recent years; however, the long-term survival outcomes of diagnosed patients remain uncertain. This study was designed to evaluate the conditional survival of male breast cancer patients and to predict the future survival of patients through the conditional nomogram, to provide important suggestions for clinical decision-making. METHODS: Retrospective data from the SEER database included 3600 male breast cancer patients, divided into training and validation groups (7 : 3 ratio). Overall survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Conditional survival analysis described survival at specific years. Time-dependent multivariate Cox analysis identified prognostic factors' impact. The conditional survival nomogram model predicted real-time survival rates. RESULTS: Over time, the 5-year real-time survival rate of patients gradually improved, increasing from 70.5 to 74.8, 79.4, 85.8, and 92.9% (respectively, representing 5-year survival rates of 1-4 years after diagnosis). In addition, the improvement in conditional survival rate CS5 showed a nonlinear trend. After 5 years of diagnosis, age, tumor size, and tumor stage had a sustained impact on patient prognosis. Finally, a conditional survival nomogram was constructed to predict the 10-year survival rate in real time. CONCLUSION: Five years after diagnosis, the conditional survival rate of male patients with breast cancer has improved, but it is not nonlinear. In the first 5 years after diagnosis, patients with older age, larger tumor size, poorer tumor stage, and distant metastasis should be actively followed up and treated to improve their long-term survival.

Optimization and Parameter Investigation of the Planar Photocatalytic Microreactor.

The microreactor could break the limitation of mass transfer and photon transmission in photocatalysis. Through a facile assembly method, a planar photocatalytic microreactor was constructed to fit most of the photocatalysts regardless of their strict preparation method. This microreactor exhibits a 2.41-fold efficiency compared to a bulk reactor. Parameters that affect the photocatalytic performance were discussed in detail by experiment and calculation. The diffusion rate is the main bottleneck in a planar microreactor under a laminar flow. The microreactor with lower height shows higher efficiency owing to faster mass transfer, while the length and width affect slightly. Elevating the light power density provides a diminishing benefit. Faster flow speed reduces the apparent degradation percent but increases the chemical reaction rate, in fact. The reaction rate increases to 9.31 times by reducing the height from 500 to 100 µm and grows another 1.76 times by adding the flow speed from 10 to 40 mL/h. This work illustrates the influence of parameters on planar photocatalytic microreactors and offers a promising prospect for large-volume photocatalytic water treatment.

Synthesis of MPEG-b-PLLA Diblock Copolymers and Their Crystallization Performance with PDLA and PLLA Composite Films.

Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(L-lactide) (MPEG-b-PLLA) has a wide range of applications in pharmaceuticals and biology, and its structure and morphology have been thoroughly studied. In the experiment, we synthesized MPEG-b-PLLA with different block lengths using the principle of ring-opening polymerization by controlling the amount of lactic acid added. The thermodynamic properties of copolymers and the crystallization properties of blends were studied separately. The crystallization kinetics of PDLA/MPEG-b-PLA and PLLA/MPEG-b-PLA composite films were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results indicate that the crystallization kinetics of composite films are closely related to the amount of block addition. The crystallinity of the sample first increases and then decreases with an increase in MPEG-b-PLLA content. These results were also confirmed in polarized optical microscope (POM) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) tests. When 3% MPEG-b-PLLA was added to the PDLA matrix, the blend exhibited the strongest crystallization performance.

Paradoxical psoriasis induced by IL-17 antagonists.

Background The paradoxical occurrence of psoriasis triggered by Interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibitors is notable due to its prominent symptoms and the therapeutic dilemma it presents for follow-up care. Objective To describe cases in our clinic, perform an in-depth literature review, and suggest the most probable mechanisms of action. Method We conducted a literature review on published cases of IL-17 inhibitor-induced psoriasis. Results We found 22 articles reporting 30 cases of IL-17 inhibitor-induced paradoxical psoriasis, primarily observed in patients with a previous psoriasis history. Almost 60% of cases showed a change in lesion morphology, with the plaque or pustular type being prevalent. About 73.3% of patients had to discontinue the implicated drug, leading to partial or complete symptom resolution. The mechanism behind this response seemed to involve IL-17 inhibitors downregulating Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α), subsequently upregulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells and triggering unopposed IFN-alpha (IFN-α) production. Limitation Data are confined to case reports and case series. Conclusion More assertive measures are recommended for treating paradoxical psoriasis induced by IL-17 inhibitors than those caused by TNF-α inhibitors. Reintroducing an IL-17 inhibitor is not advised, as patients did not show improvement.

Longitudinal relationship between grip strength and cognitive function in a European population older than 50 years: A cross-lagged panel model.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic longitudinal relationship between grip strength and cognitive function. METHODS: 6175 participants aged ≥50 years were included in the study using three waves of follow-up data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe in 2015 (T1), 2017 (T2) and 2019 (T3). Cognitive function was assessed using numeracy, verbal fluency, immediate recall, delayed recall and total. The cross-lagged panel model was used for analysis. RESULTS: There was a correlation between grip strength and cognitive function. Standardized path coefficient from numeracy T1 to grip strength T2 was 0.017 (p = 0.003), and from numeracy T2 to grip strength T3 was 0.014 (p = 0.012). Standardized path coefficient from grip strength T1 to numeracy T2 was 0.096 (p < 0.001), and from grip strength T2 to numeracy T3 was 0.113 (p < 0.001). Other indicators of cognitive function had similar relationships with grip strength. CONCLUSIONS: The study found a statistically significant longitudinal and bidirectional relationship between grip strength and cognitive function in a sample of people aged ≥50 years from several European countries.

Efficient liquid phase photothermal catalysis realized by Ag2O/Bi4O5I2via heat-localization in a microreactor.

By constructing a Ag2O/Bi4O5I2 p-n heterojunction and applying a heat-localization microreactor, efficient photocatalysis enhanced by both photoinduced carrier separation and the photothermal effect was realized. This work focuses on the utilization of near-infrared light to broaden the absorption spectrum and accelerate the transportation of carriers. Through the production and localization of heat, it provides a novel thought for full-spectrum photocatalysis.

Enhanced High-Fructose Corn Syrup Production: Immobilizing Serratia marcescens Glucose Isomerase on MOF (Co)-525 Reduces Co2+ Dependency in Glucose Isomerization to Fructose.

The escalating demand for processed foods has led to the widespread industrial use of glucose isomerase (GI) for high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) production. This reliance on GIs necessitates continual Co2+ supplementation to sustain high catalytic activity across multiple reaction cycles. In this study, Serratia marcescens GI (SmGI) was immobilized onto surfaces of the metal-organic framework (MOF) material MOF (Co)-525 to generate MOF (Co)-525-GI for use in catalyzing glucose isomerization to generate fructose. Examination of MOF (Co)-525-GI structural features using scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet spectroscopy revealed no structural changes after SmGI immobilization and the addition of Co2+. Notably, MOF (Co)-525-GI exhibited optimal catalytic activity at pH 7.5 and 70 °C, with a maximum reaction rate (Vmax) of 37.24 ± 1.91 µM/min and Km value of 46.25 ± 3.03 mM observed. Remarkably, immobilized SmGI exhibited sustained high catalytic activity over multiple cycles without continuous Co2+ infusion, retaining its molecular structure and 96.38% of its initial activity after six reaction cycles. These results underscore the potential of MOF (Co)-525-GI to serve as a safer and more efficient immobilized enzyme technology compared to traditional GI-based food-processing technologies.

Elevating the Photocatalytic Performance of BiOCl by Promoting Light Utilization: From Co doping to the Microreactor.

Owing to its unique layered structure, BiOCl demonstrates high photocatalytic activity. However, its wide bandgap hinders the absorption of visible light. Doping modification is an effective method to expand the light absorption edge of photocatalysts by creating a doping energy level within the bandgap. Herein, Co as a variable valence element was used to dope the BiOCl nanosheets through a simple hydrothermal approach. As a result, the absorption edge of Co-BiOCl extends to the visible light region, and the photocatalytic performance was enhanced by 3.02 times. To overcome the shortcoming of photons being consumed easily in the bulk reactor, a planar microreactor was introduced to reduce the attenuation of light and accelerate the mass transfer. By comparison to the bulk reactor, a maximum of 15.3-fold additional activity promotion emerged. This work combines doping modification and reactor improvement to realize highly efficient photocatalysis in practical application.

Screening of rhizosphere nitrogen fixing, phosphorus and potassium solubilizing bacteria of Malus sieversii (Ldb.) Roem. and the effect on apple growth.

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium inorganic fertilizers are commonly used when growing apples, but their excessive application has resulted in a decline in soil fertility and therefore an inability to maintain sustainable cultivation systems. It is possible to compensate for this with biofertilizers. Nitrogen-fixing, phosphorus solubilizing, and potassium solubilizing bacteria are biofertilizers with a broad range of possible uses. In this study, beneficial microorganisms were screened from the rhizosphere soil of the apple tree, Malus sieversii (Ldb.) Roem., which is rich in microbial diversity in natural environments. It was essential to investigate their effects on the growth of apple seedlings. Eight populations of organic phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (56), inorganic phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (13), nitrogen-fixing bacteria (22), and potassium solubilizing bacteria (24) were isolated from eight populations of Xinjiang wild apple rhizosphere in Ili by medium culture. Their morphological characteristics were recorded and their activity was determined. The most active strains were Pseudomonas migulae, Pseudomonas poae, and Pseudomonas extremaustralis, which was determined by physiological and biochemical properties and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The L16 (45) orthogonal experiment, which used the three strains as testing materials, was created to assess the effects of the strains on apple physiological indicators, soil nutrients, leaf nutrients, and biomass, as well as to identify the ideal combination, concentration, timing, and application method. The results indicated that the peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities of apple seedlings increased significantly under the 10 treatment, and the (SOD) activities of the 0 (control) and 1 (inorganic fertilizer only) treatments were significantly lower than the other treatments; soluble sugar, soluble protein and chlorophyll contents increased in all treatments compared to 0 and 1, while malondialdehyde and proline contents increased or decreased compared to 0 and 1; apple seedlings in treatment 10 had the highest soil N, P, and K content, leaf N, P, and K content and biomass were also all highest in treatment 10. In summary, the strains screened for the test can be used as biofertilizers and the optimum application was determined for treatment 10, meaning that the results also provide a theoretical basis for their application in artificially grown orchards.

Impact of Easing COVID-19 Restrictions on Fear of COVID-19 and Social Support Among Chinese Students: A Longitudinal Analysis.

Introduction: This longitudinal study aims to investigate the relationship between fear of COVID-19, support-seeking behaviors, and perceived social support among Chinese college students during two distinct periods of the COVID-19 pandemic: the period of strict control (time 1) and the period following a relaxation of restrictions (time 2). Methods: A total of 408 Chinese college students participated in this study. Data collection included demographic information, measures of fear of COVID-19, support-seeking behaviors, and perceived social support. Results: Fear of COVID-19 at time 1 showed a significant positive association with fear of COVID-19 at time 2. The relationship between support-seeking behavior at time 1 and fear of COVID-19 at time 2 was significantly mediated through a chain mediation effect of support-seeking behavior at time 1 and perceived social support at time 2. Discussion: This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and underscores the significance of social support in mitigating fear of COVID-19. It calls for a re-evaluation of public health policies considering their potential psychological effects and introduces new opportunities for developing psychosocial interventions.

[Mechanism of dexamethasone combined with glutamine in reducing lung inflammation and pulmonary edema in rats with acute lung injury].

Objective To investigate the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) combined with glutamine (Gln) on lung inflammation and pulmonary edema in rats with acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its related mechanisms. Methods Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, dexamethasone group (DEX) and DEX combined with Gln group. Except for the control group, rats in other groups were injected with 6 mg/kg LPS intraperitoneally to induce an acute lung injury. The mRNA expression of p38 MAPK, NLRP3, and NF-κB in lung tissue were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The protein expressions of p-p38 MAPK, NLRP3, phosphorylated inhibitor of nuclear factor κB (p-IκB), NF-κB p65, aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and AQP5 in lung tissue were detected by Western blot analysis. ELISA was used to detect the content of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß). Spectrophotometer was employed to detect the content of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in lung tissue. Results Compared with the control group, the lung index of the model group decreased, the content of the serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß significantly increased, and the protein expression of p38 MAPK, NLRP3, NF-κB mRNA, p-p38 MAPK, NLRP3, p-IκB and NF-κB p65 in the lung tissue significantly increased, while that of AQP1, AQP5 decreased, and the content of SOD and GSH-Px in lung tissue decreased, while that of MDA increased; Compared with the model group, the above mentioned symptoms and indicators in each treatment group were significantly improved, among which the DEX combined with Gln group was the most significant. Conclusion DEX combined with Gln can inhibit inflammation, resist oxidative damage, relieve pulmonary edema, and prevent acute lung injury. Its mechanism is related to inhibiting the activation of p38 MAPK, NLRP3, and NF-κB signaling pathways, promoting the expression of AQP1 and AQP5, and promoting the activity of antioxidant products.