Radical chemistry and VOCs-NOx-O3-nitrate sensitivity in the polluted atmosphere of a suburban site in the North China Plain.

In this study, the chemical mechanisms of O3 and nitrate formation as well as the control strategy were investigated based on extensive observations in Tai'an city in the NCP and an observation-constrained box model. The results showed that O3 pollution was severe with the maximum hourly O3 concentration reaching 150 ppb. Higher O3 concentration was typically accompanied by higher PM2.5 concentrations, which could be ascribed to the common precursors of VOCs and NOx. The modeled averaged peak concentrations of OH, HO2, and RO2 were relatively higher compared to previous observations, indicating strong atmospheric oxidation capacity in the study area. The ROx production rate increased from 2.8 ppb h-1 to 5 ppb h-1 from the clean case to the heavily polluted case and was dominated by HONO photolysis, followed by HCHO photolysis. The contribution of radical-self combination to radical termination gradually exceeded NO2 + OH from clean to polluted cases, indicating that O3 formation shifted to a more NOx-limited regime. The O3 production rate increased from 14 ppb h-1 to 22 ppb h-1 from clean to heavily polluted cases. The relative incremental reactivity (RIR) results showed that VOCs and NOx had comparable RIR values during most days, which suggested that decreasing VOCs or NOx was both effective in alleviating O3 pollution. In addition, HCHO, with the largest RIR value, made important contribution to O3 production. The Empirical Kinetic Modeling Approach (EKMA) revealed that synergistic control of O3 and nitrate can be achieved by decreasing both NOx and VOCs emissions (e.g., alkenes) with the ratio of 3:1. This study emphasized the importance of NOx abatement for the synergistic control of O3 and nitrate pollution in the Tai'an area as the sustained emissions control has shifted the O3 and nitrate formation to a more NOx-limited regime.

Regulation of Interfacial Chemistry Enabling High-Power Dual-Ion Batteries at Low Temperatures.

Interfacial chemistry plays a crucial role in determining the electrochemical properties of low-temperature rechargeable batteries. Although existing interface engineering has significantly improved the capacity of rechargeable batteries operating at low temperatures, challenges such as sharp voltage drops and poor high-rate discharge capabilities continue to limit their applications in extreme environments. In this study, an energy-level-adaptive design strategy for electrolytes to regulate interfacial chemistry in low-temperature Li||graphite dual-ion batteries (DIBs) is proposed. This strategy enables the construction of robust interphases with superior ion-transfer kinetics. On the graphite cathode, the design endues the cathode interface with solvent/anion-coupled interfacial chemistry, which yields an nitrogen/phosphor/sulfur/fluorin (N/P/S/F)-containing organic-rich interphase to boost anion-transfer kinetics and maintains excellent interfacial stability. On the Li metal anode, the anion-derived interfacial chemistry promotes the formation of an inorganic-dominant LiF-rich interphase, which effectively suppresses Li dendrite growth and improves the Li plating/stripping kinetics at low temperatures. Consequently, the DIBs can operate within a wide temperature range, spanning from -40 to 45 °C. At -40 °C, the DIB exhibits exceptional performance, delivering 97.4% of its room-temperature capacity at 1 C and displaying an extraordinarily high-rate discharge capability with 62.3% capacity retention at 10 C. This study demonstrates a feasible strategy for the development of high-power and low-temperature rechargeable batteries.

Genetic evidence for causal association between migraine and dementia: a mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: There is an association between migraine and dementia, however, their causal relationship remains unclear. This study employed bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the potential causal relationship between migraine and dementia and its subtypes: Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). METHODS: Summary-level statistics data were obtained from publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for both migraine and five types of dementia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with migraine and each dementia subtype were selected. MR analysis was conducted using inverse variance weighting (IVW) and weighted median (WM) methods. Sensitivity analyses included Cochran's Q test, MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) analysis, the intercept of MR-Egger, and leave-one-out analysis. RESULTS: Migraine showed a significant causal relationship with AD and VaD, whereas no causal relationship was observed with all-cause dementia, FTD, or DLB. Migraine may be a potential risk factor for AD (odds ratio [OR]: 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02-0.14; P = 0.007), while VaD may be a potential risk factor for migraine (OR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.02-0.06; P = 7.760E-5). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated the robustness of our findings. CONCLUSION: Our study suggest that migraine may have potential causal relationships with AD and VaD. Migraine may be a risk factor for AD, and VaD may be a risk factor for migraine. Our study contributes to unraveling the comprehensive genetic associations between migraine and various types of dementia, and our findings will enhance the academic understanding of the comorbidity between migraine and dementia.

Effect of Different Fertilizer Types on Quality of Foxtail Millet under Low Nitrogen Conditions.

In order to clarify the effect of different fertilizers on foxtail millet quality under low nitrogen conditions, we used JGNo.21 and LZGNo.2 as experimental materials and set up five treatments, including non-fertilization, nitrogen, phosphorus, compound, and organic fertilizers, to study the regulation of different fertilizer types on agronomic traits, nutrient fractions, and pasting characteristics of foxtail millet under low nitrogen conditions. Compared with the control, all of the fertilizers improved the agronomic traits of JGNo.21 to a certain extent. Nitrogen and compound fertilizer treatments reduced the starch content of JGNo.21; the starch content was reduced by 0.55% and 0.07% under nitrogen and compound fertilizers treatments. Phosphorus and organic fertilizers increased starch content, and starch content increased by 0.50% and 0.56% under phosphorus and organic fertilizer treatments. The effect of each fertilizer treatment on protein content was completely opposite to that of starch; different fertilizer treatments reduced the fat content of JGNo.21 and increased the fiber content. Among them, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers increased the yellow pigment content; the yellow pigment content increased by 1.21% and 2.64% under nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer treatments. Organic and compound fertilizers reduced the content of yellow pigment; the yellow pigment content was reduced by 3.36% and 2.79% under organic and compound fertilizer treatments. Nitrogen and organic fertilizers increased the fat content of LZGNo.2; the fat content increased by 2.62% and 1.98% under nitrogen, organic fertilizer treatment. Compound and phosphorus fertilizer decreased the fat content; the fat content decreased by 2.16% and 2.90% under compound and phosphorus fertilizer treatment. Different fertilizer treatments reduced the cellulose and yellow pigment content of LZGNo.2. The content of essential, non-essential, and total amino acids of JGNo.21 was increased under compound and nitrogen fertilizer treatments and decreased under organic and phosphorus fertilizer treatments. The content of essential, non-essential, and total amino acids of LZGNo.2 was significantly higher under compound, nitrogen, and organic fertilizer treatments compared with control and significantly decreased under phosphorus fertilizer treatments. Nitrogen and compound fertilizer treatments significantly reduced the values of peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity, and pasting time of each index of JGNo.21; phosphorus and organic fertilizer treatments improved the values of each index. In contrast, the pasting viscosity of LZGNo.2 increased under phosphorus fertilizer treatment and decreased under nitrogen fertilizer treatment. Reasonable fertilization can improve the quality of foxtail millet, which provides a scientific theoretical basis for improving the quality of foxtail millet.

Effectiveness of Psychobiotic Bifidobacterium breve BB05 in Managing Psychosomatic Diarrhea in College Students by Regulating Gut Microbiota: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Diarrhea of college students (DCS) is a prevalent issue among college students, affecting their daily lives and academic performance. This study aims to explore the potential effect of Bifidobacterium breve BB05 supplements on the DCS. Initially, fifty healthy and fifty diarrheal students were recruited in the observational experiment and allocated into control and diarrhea groups, respectively. Subsequently, one hundred diarrheal students were newly recruited in the intervention experiment and randomly allocated into placebo and probiotic groups, both treated for 2 weeks. Questionnaires (BSS, HAMA-14, and HDRS-17) were performed to assess the students' diarrheal states and mental health at baseline and post-treatment. Fecal samples underwent 16S rRNA sequencing and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay to evaluate gut microbiota and fecal metabolite alternations. Results indicated that B. breve BB05 supplementation significantly enriched (p < 0.05) the reduced gut microbial diversity caused by diarrhea. Diarrhea resulted in notable alterations in gut microbiota composition, as exhibited by elevated Collinsella and Streptococcus, alongside substantially decreased Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, and Prevotella, while B. breve BB05 supplementation partially restored the compromised gut microbiota at both the phylum and genus levels, particularly by increasing Bifidobacterium and Roseburia (p < 0.05). Importantly, questionnaire results suggested that B. breve BB05 administration achieved superior efficacy in relieving diarrhea symptoms and the associated anxiety and depression in college students. An increased fecal concentration of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was also observed in the probiotic group, while Acetylcholine (ACH), Epinephrine (EPI), and Noradrenaline/Norepinephrine (NANE) reduced, revealing the potential of B. breve BB05 in alleviating anxiety and depression via modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Furthermore, correlation analysis suggested that the altered microbiota and fecal neurotransmitters were closely associated with the mental symptoms. These results endorse B. breve BB05 intervention as a promising and innovative approach to alleviate both diarrhea and mental health conditions among college students.

Effects of Remifentanil Pretreatment on Sufentanil-induced Cough Suppression During the Induction of General Anesthesia.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of remifentanil pretreatment on sufentanil-induced cough during general anesthesia induction. DESIGN: This experimental research was conducted as a single-center, randomized, parallel-group trial. METHODS: A total of 120 patients scheduled for elective surgery were equally randomized into two groups (remifentanil and control). The incidence and severity of coughing in both groups were recorded after sufentanil administration during general anesthesia induction. The mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and pulse oxygen saturation were recorded at T1 (before the injection of remifentanil or normal saline), T2 (1 minute after remifentanil administration), T3 (before intubation), and T4 (1 minute after intubation). Additionally, the incidences of adverse events, including dizziness, nausea, apnea, truncal rigidity, bradycardia, or other adverse effects were also recorded. FINDINGS: The incidence of sufentanil-induced cough in the remifentanil group was significantly decreased when compared with the control group (5.0% vs 35.0%, respectively; P < .001). No statistical differences were found in mean arterial pressure, heart rate, pulse oxygen saturation, and the incidences of other side effects between the two groups at T1, T2, T3, and T4 (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment with remifentanil at a dose of 0.5 mcg/kg can effectively and safely suppress the incidence and severity of sufentanil-induced coughing, providing a reference for medication during general anesthesia induction.

Dynamic Validation of Calibration Accuracy and Structural Robustness of a Multi-Sensor Mobile Robot.

For mobile robots, the high-precision integrated calibration and structural robustness of multi-sensor systems are important prerequisites for ensuring healthy operations in the later stage. Currently, there is no well-established validation method for the calibration accuracy and structural robustness of multi-sensor systems, especially for dynamic traveling situations. This paper presents a novel validation method for the calibration accuracy and structural robustness of a multi-sensor mobile robot. The method employs a ground-object-air cooperation mechanism, termed the "ground surface simulation field (GSSF)-mobile robot -photoelectric transmitter station (PTS)". Firstly, a static high-precision GSSF is established with the true north datum as a unified reference. Secondly, a rotatable synchronous tracking system (PTS) is assembled to conduct real-time pose measurements for a mobile vehicle. The relationship between each sensor and the vehicle body is utilized to measure the dynamic pose of each sensor. Finally, the calibration accuracy and structural robustness of the sensors are dynamically evaluated. In this context, epipolar line alignment is employed to assess the accuracy of the evaluation of relative orientation calibration of binocular cameras. Point cloud projection and superposition are utilized to realize the evaluation of absolute calibration accuracy and structural robustness of individual sensors, including the navigation camera (Navcam), hazard avoidance camera (Hazcam), multispectral camera, time-of-flight depth camera (TOF), and light detection and ranging (LiDAR), with respect to the vehicle body. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method offers a reliable means of dynamic validation for the testing phase of a mobile robot.

Development and application of a cycleave dual-probe fluorescence quantitative PCR method for simultaneous detection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum ts-11 vaccine strain and non-ts-11 strains.

An attenuated vaccine against the Mycoplasma gallisepticum ts-11 strain has become an effective prevention and control method against MG infection. However, the ts-11 strain is usually difficult to distinguish from the non-ts-11 strain (including field isolates and other vaccine strains (F and 6/85)). Therefore, it is critical to establish a rapid and effective method to distinguish ts-11 strains from non-ts-11 strains. The gene sequences of the ts-11 strain (CP044225.1) and the non-ts-11 strain (including the wild-type (CP006916.3), 6/85 (CP044224.1), and F strains (NC_017503.1) were used to construct a conserved region containing a single point mutation in the potC gene in the ts-11 strain, after which a primer-probe combination method was designed. The primer-probe method was able to accurately and efficiently identify the ts-11 and non-ts-11 strains with minimum detection limits of 2.43 copies/µL and 1.65 copies/µL, respectively. Moreover, it could simultaneously distinguish the ts-11 strain from a non-ts-11 strain, and amplifications of avian influenza virus, infectious bronchitis virus, Newcastle disease virus, fowl adenovirus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, infectious bursal disease virus, chicken anemia virus, Marek's disease virus, Mycoplasma synoviae, and Ornithobacter rhinotracheale were negative. The detection of clinical samples revealed that the established dual-probe fluorescence quantitative PCR method could be used to screen for mixed and single infections of the ts-11 strain and non-ts-11 strains effectively, with lower variation coefficients for intra- and interbatch repetition. The established cycleave dual-probe fluorescence quantitative PCR method showed good specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability and provides powerful technical support for the rapid and efficient differential diagnosis of the MG ts-11 strain from non-ts-11 strains.

FERONIA homologs in stress responses of horticultural plants: current knowledge and missing links.

Owing to its versatile roles in almost all aspects of plants, FERONIA (FER), a receptor-like kinase of the Catharanthus roseus receptor-like kinase 1-like (CrRLK1L) subfamily, has received extensive research interests during the past decades. Accumulating evidence has been emerged that FER homologs in horticultural crops also play crucial roles in reproductive biology and responses to environmental stimuli (abiotic and biotic stress factors). Here, we provide a review for the latest advances in the studies on FER homologs in modulating stress responses in horticultural crops, and further analyze the underlying mechanisms maintained by FER. Moreover, we also envisage the missing links in current work and provide a perspective for future studies on this star protein.

Research on strain testing method and accuracy evaluation of spacecraft in heat and force field.

Ground experimentation is an important method to verify the performance and quality of spacecraft structures. How to simulate the force and heat fields that a spacecraft may be subjected to during flight is a challenge for experiment design. In this paper, the static strength experimental method of spacecraft in the combined force and heat fields is studied. Furthermore, the coupling cases of the spacecraft during the flight process are simulated using an airbag and a resistive heater. Finally, it can be concluded that the accuracy of the proposed experimental method as well as the structural strength of the spacecraft can meet technical requirements during flight.

Acupuncture plus topiramate placebo versus topiramate plus sham acupuncture for the preventive treatment of chronic migraine: A single-blind, double-dummy, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has been used for the treatment of chronic migraine, but high-quality evidence is scarce. We aimed to evaluate acupuncture's efficacy and safety compared to topiramate for chronic migraine. METHODS: This double-dummy randomized controlled trial included participants aged 18-65 years diagnosed with chronic migraine. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive acupuncture (three sessions/week) plus topiramate placebo (acupuncture group) or topiramate (50-100 mg/day) plus sham acupuncture (topiramate group) over 12 weeks, with the primary outcome being the mean change in monthly migraine days during weeks 1-12. RESULTS: Of 123 screened patients, 60 (mean age 45.8, 81.7% female) were randomly assigned to acupuncture or topiramate groups. Acupuncture demonstrated significantly greater reductions in monthly migraine days than topiramate (weeks 1-12: -2.79 [95% CI: -4.65 to -0.94, p = 0.004]; weeks 13-24: -3.25 [95% CI: -5.57 to -0.92, p = 0.007]). No severe adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may be safe and effective for treating chronic migraine. The efficacy of 12 weeks of acupuncture was sustained for 24 weeks and superior to that of topiramate. Acupuncture can be used as an optional preventive therapy for chronic migraine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN.org Identifier 13563102.

Preparation of an injectable zinc-containing hydrogel with double dynamic bond and its potential application in the treatment of periodontitis.

Periodontal tissue regeneration continues to face significant clinical challenges. Periodontitis leads to alveolar bone resorption and even tooth loss due to persistent microbial infection and persistent inflammatory response. As a promising topical drug delivery system, the application of hydrogels in the controlled release of periodontal bioactive drugs has aroused great interest. Therefore, the design and preparation of an injectable hydrogel with self-repairing properties for periodontitis treatment is still in great demand. In this study, polysaccharide-based self-healing hydrogels with antimicrobial osteogenic properties were developed. Zinc ions are introduced into a dynamic cross-linking network formed by dynamic Schiff bases between carboxymethyl chitosan and oxidized hyaluronic acid via coordination bonds. The OC-Zn hydrogels exhibited good tissue adhesion, good fatigue resistance, excellent self-healing ability, low cytotoxicity, good broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and osteogenic activity. Therefore, the designed hydrogels allow the development of drug delivery systems as a potential treatment for periodontitis.

In-situ fabrication of self-supported cobalt molybdenum sulphide on carbon paper for bifunctional water electrocatalysis.

The fabrication of highly efficient yet stable noble-metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysts that can simultaneously catalyse both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains challenging. Herein, we employ the heterostructure coupling strategy, showcasing an aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) aided synthetic approach for the in-situ growth of cobalt molybdenum sulphide nanocomposites on carbon paper (CoMoS@CP) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst. The AACVD allows the rational incorporation of Co in the Mo-S binary structure, which modulates the morphology of CoMoS@CP, resulting in enhanced HER activity (ŋ10 = 171 mV in acidic and ŋ10 = 177 mV in alkaline conditions). Furthermore, the CoS2 species in the CoMoS@CP ternary structure extends the OER capability, yielding an ŋ100 of 455 mV in 1 M KOH. Lastly, we found that the synergistic effect of the Co-Mo-S interface elevates the bifunctional performance beyond binary counterparts, achieving a low cell voltage (1.70 V at 10 mA cm-2) in overall water splitting test and outstanding catalytic stability (∼90 % performance retention after 50-/30-h continuous operation at 10 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively). This work has opened up a new methodology for the controllable synthesis of self-supported transition metal-based electrocatalysts for applications in overall water splitting.

Reconstructing Solvation Structure by Steric Hindrance-Coordination Push-Pull of Dipolymer-H2O-Zn2+ toward Long-life Aqueous Zinc-Metal Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-metal batteries are prospective energy storge devices due to their intrinsically high safety and cost effectiveness. Yet, uneven deposition of zinc ions in electrochemical reduction and side reactions at the anode interface significantly hinder their development and application. Here, we propose a solvation-interface attenuation strategy enabled by a frustrated tertiary amine amphiphilic dipolymer electrolyte additive. The configuration of superhydrophilic segments with covalently bonded lipophilic spacers enables coupled steric hindrance/coordination, which establishes a balanced push-pull dynamic of dipolymer-H2O-Zn2+. Such interplay reconstructs the solvation structure of Zn2+ and allows the formation of a stable dipolymer-inorganic hybrid solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. This SEI layer effectively shields the zinc-metal anode from water and anions, significantly reducing side reactions. In addition, the dipolymer adsorbed at the zinc-metal anode interface regulates the interfacial electrochemical reduction kinetics and ensures uniform zinc deposition. As a result, the Zn-Zn symmetric cells with dipolymer-containing electrolyte exhibit remarkable cycling stability exceeding 5800 h (242 days). The Zn-NVO batteries and Zn-AC hybrid ion supercapacitors also deliver stable cycling for up to 1440 h (60 days) with high-capacity retention over 80 %. This research demonstrates the potential to facilitate the development and commercialization of zinc-based energy storage devices.

Baicalin attenuates acute skin damage induced by ultraviolet B via inhibiting pyroptosis.

As the outermost layer of the human body, the skin suffers from various external factors especially light damage, among which ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation is common and possesses a relatively high biological damage capacity. Pyroptosis is a newly discovered type of programmed cell death, which can induce cell rupture and induce local inflammatory response. However, the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis in photodamaged skin is poorly understood. Baicalin, a flavonoid extracted from the desiccated root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Huang Qin). Despite its antioxidant abilities, whether baicalin protects skin by attenuating UVB-induced pyroptosis remains unclear, which was the aim of this study. The UVB-induced acute skin damage model was established by using human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and Kunming (KM) strain mice. The protective dose selection for baicalin is 50 µM in vitro and 100 mg/kg in vivo. In in vitro study, UVB irradiation significantly decreased cell viability, increased cell death and oxidative stress in HaCaT cells, while pretreatment with baicalin improved these phenomena. Furthermore, the baicalin pretreatment notably suppressed nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) translocation, the NLRP3 inflammasome activation and gasdermin D (GSDMD) maturation, thus effectively attenuating UVB-induced pyroptosis. In in vivo study, the baicalin pretreatment mitigated epidermal hyperplasia, collagen fiber fragmentation, oxidative stress and pyroptosis in UVB-irradiated mouse skin. In a nutshell, this study suggests that baicalin could be a potential protective agent to attenuate acute skin damage induced by UVB irradiation through decreasing oxidative stress and suppressing NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD-involved pyroptosis.

Metabonomics and pharmacodynamics studies of Gentiana radix and wine-processed Gentiana radix in damp-heat jaundice syndrome rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gentiana radix (GR) and wine-processed Gentiana radix (WGR) have been commonly used in folk medicine for the treatment of bile or liver disorders, including jaundice, hepatitis, swelling and inflammation for thousands of years. However, the therapeutic effects of gentian root (GR) and wine-made gentian root (WGR) treatment on damp-heat jaundice syndrome (DHJS) have not been studied in animal experiments. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of GR and WGR on DHJS in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a high-fat and high-sugar diet in a humidified hot environment, hepatic injury induced by giving alpha-naphthalene isothiocyanate (ANIT) in rats were used as a DHJS model. Histological analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), PCR analysis, and metabolomics were used to elucidate the mechanism of GR and WGR for DHJS. RESULTS: The results indicated that GR and WGR affected DHJS by inhibiting the release of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), direct bilirubin (D-BIL), total bilirubin (TBIL), total bile acid (TBA), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione S-transferase (GST) (P < 0.05). In addition, they significantly reduced the gene expression levels of Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), bile salt export pump (BESP), multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 3 (MRP3) (P < 0.05). The WGR group improved the above function indicators better than the GR group. GR and WGR could restore 11 potential biomarkers in rats with DHJS tended to return to normal levels, these biomarkers were involved in arachidonic acid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, retinol metabolism, arginine biosynthesis. The results of the metabolic pathway showed that WGR was significantly better than GR in the improvement of porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that treatment with GR and WGR has a beneficial effect on DHJS in rats, the major mechanisms may be involved in improving functional indicators of the body and endogenous metabolism, and WGR is more effective than GR. It provides important evidence for the clinical application of GR and WGR in the treatment of DHJS.

Transition to chaos separates learning regimes and relates to measure of consciousness in recurrent neural networks.

Recurrent neural networks exhibit chaotic dynamics when the variance in their connection strengths exceed a critical value. Recent work indicates connection variance also modulates learning strategies; networks learn "rich" representations when initialized with low coupling and "lazier" solutions with larger variance. Using Watts-Strogatz networks of varying sparsity, structure, and hidden weight variance, we find that the critical coupling strength dividing chaotic from ordered dynamics also differentiates rich and lazy learning strategies. Training moves both stable and chaotic networks closer to the edge of chaos, with networks learning richer representations before the transition to chaos. In contrast, biologically realistic connectivity structures foster stability over a wide range of variances. The transition to chaos is also reflected in a measure that clinically discriminates levels of consciousness, the perturbational complexity index (PCIst). Networks with high values of PCIst exhibit stable dynamics and rich learning, suggesting a consciousness prior may promote rich learning. The results suggest a clear relationship between critical dynamics, learning regimes and complexity-based measures of consciousness.

Dachengqi decoction ameliorates sepsis-induced liver injury by inhibiting the TGF-ß1/Smad3 pathways.

Background: Sepsis-induced acute liver injury (ALI) is a major contributor to mortality in septic patients. Exploring the pathogenesis and developing effective treatment strategies for sepsis-induced ALI is critical for improving patient outcomes. Dachengqi decoction (DCQD), which is a classic Chinese herbal medicine, has been shown to possess potent anti-inflammatory properties. However, the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of DCQD against sepsis-induced ALI remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of DCQD on sepsis-induced ALI and elucidate the involvement of the TGF-1ß/Smad3 pathways. Methods: A septic mouse model was established using caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to evaluate the protective effect of DCQD on sepsis-induced ALI in vivo. An in vitro cellular inflammation model was established using LPS-stimulated LO2 cells to further investigate the underlying mechanism. Results: DCQD (2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 g/kg body weight) was administered twice daily for 2 days and exerted a dose-dependent protective effect against sepsis-induced ALI. DCQD treatment significantly inhibited inappropriate inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in liver tissue. Moreover, DCQD maintained liver homeostasis by inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis and improving sepsis-induced liver damage. In vivo and in vitro studies indicated that the TGF-ß1/Smad3 signalling pathway played an important role in sepsis-induced ALI, and DCQD treatment significantly inhibited the activation of this pathway. Conclusions: DCQD can effectively suppress excessive inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, leading to a substantial reduction in hepatocyte apoptosis in sepsis-induced ALI.

Effect of acupuncture for temporomandibular disorders: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is the leading cause of pain and disability among frequently occurring facial pain and the second leading cause of musculoskeletal conditions. AIM: We examined whether acupuncture could alleviate pain intensity in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). DESIGN AND METHODS: Sixty participants with TMD were randomly assigned (ratio 1:1) to receive three acupuncture or sham acupuncture sessions weekly for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in the mean weekly pain intensity from baseline to week 4. Secondary and exploratory outcomes included proportion of participants with ≥30% or ≥ 50% reduction in pain intensity, change in jaw opening and movement, graded chronic pain scale, jaw functional limitations scale-20-item, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21, Pittsburgh sleep quality index at week 4 and 8, and the pressure pain threshold and surface electromyography at week 4. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The acupuncture group showed significantly reduced pain intensity compared to the sham group at week 4 (-1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.32 to -0.65; P < 0.001) and week 8 (-1.23, 95% CI: -2.11 to -0.54; P = 0.001). Acupuncture's effectiveness surpassed sham's at 4 weeks and lasted 8 weeks. Participants in the acupuncture group experienced significantly greater improvements in the 30% and 50% response rate, jaw opening and movement, GCPS, JFLS-20, DASS-21 and PSQI than those in the sham acupuncture group. There were no significant between-group differences in PPT and sEMG. In summary, acupuncture provided marked pain relief and improvement in physical and emotional function for patients with TMD compared with sham acupuncture.

Nomogram for predicting the risk of postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the risk factors for postoperative delirium (POD) after orthopedic surgery in elderly patients and establish an individualized nomogram to predict the risk of POD. METHODS: The data of 1011 patients who underwent orthopedic surgery from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were used to screen for independent risk factors. Stepwise regression was conducted to screen risk factors to construct a nomogram to predict the risk of POD after orthopedic surgery in elderly individuals, and nomogram validation analyses were performed. RESULTS: The logistic regression results showed that age (≥ 75 years old vs. < 75 years old; odds ratio (OR) = 2.889; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.149, 7.264), sex (male vs. female, OR = 2.368; 95% CI, 1.066, 5.261), and preoperative cognitive impairment (yes vs. no, OR = 13.587; 95% CI, 4.360, 42.338) were independent risk factors for POD in elderly patients who underwent orthopedic surgery (P < 0.05). A nomogram was constructed using 7 risk factors, i.e., age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, sex, preoperative hemoglobin (Hb), preoperative pulmonary disease, cognitive impairment, and intraoperative infusion volume. The area under the curve (AUC) showed good discrimination (0.867), the slope of the calibration curve was 1.0, and the optimal net benefit of the nomogram from the decision curve analysis (DCA) was 0.01-0.58. CONCLUSION: This study used 7 risk factors to construct a nomogram to predict the risk of POD after major orthopedic surgery in elderly individuals, and the nomogram had good discrimination ability, accuracy, and clinical practicability.