Assessing the Efficacy of an External Insulation Fixed Kit in Maintaining Optimal Temperature for Hot Compress Therapy.

Background: Hot compress therapy is commonly used for various musculoskeletal conditions, aiming to alleviate pain and improve blood circulation. However, maintaining the desired temperature throughout the treatment session can be challenging. Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of an external insulation fixed kit on maintaining the optimal temperature during hot compress therapy. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted, and a total of 116 patients undergoing heat application were selected. The patients were divided into two groups: the control group (C Group, n=58), utilizing traditional external application methods, and the research group (R Group, n=58), employing the external insulation fixed kit. Parameters including the temperature of the external application material, displacement rate, dislodgement rate, and satisfaction with the heat application after 20 minutes of clinical use were compared between the two groups. Results: After 20 minutes of clinical application, the temperature in the R Group was [36.76 (35.60, 37.83)]°C, significantly higher than the C Group temperature of [26.26 (24.48, 27.90)]°C (P < .001). The incidence of displacement was 1.70%, and dislodgement was 0% in the R Group, while in the C Group, it was 8.60% and 5.20%, respectively. However, these differences were not statistically significant (P > .05). The satisfaction rate with hot packs was 91.38% in Group R and 74.14% in Group C, with significantly higher satisfaction in Group R (P < .05). Conclusion: The utilization of the external insulation fixed kit effectively maintained the optimal temperature during heat application treatment without increasing the rates of displacement and dislodgement.

Reliability and Validity of a Theory-Based Determinants of Eating and Physical Activity Behaviors Questionnaire for Chinese Elementary School Children.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to develop and validate a Social Cognitive Theory-based instrument to identify psychosocial factors that influence diet and physical activity among Chinese children aged 10-12 years. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study, with data collected from questionnaires. SETTING: Two elementary schools in Beijing, China. PARTICIPANTS: Fourth to sixth-grade students (N = 1,486) aged 10-12 years were recruited. VARIABLES MEASURED: Gender, height, weight, nation, and grade were collected. Energy-balanced eating behaviors and their related sociopsychological factors were surveyed. ANALYSIS: Confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlations, Cronbach α index, and mediation analysis were used. RESULTS: (1) Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a 6-factor solution (51 items) and all factor loadings > 0.32, indicating that the model fitness was acceptable. (2) All correlation coefficients are statistically significant. All of the Cronbach α indexes were > 0.65, indicating acceptable reliability. (3) The mediating effect of goal intention and outcome expectations between self-efficacy and habit strength was statistically significant (P < 0.01), verifying the theory structure. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This questionnaire exhibits good internal consistency, reliability, and structural validity. It can be effectively employed to investigate energy-balanced eating behaviors related to the Social Cognitive Theory in Chinese children.

Interface Modulation for the Heterointegration of Diamond on Si.

Along with the increasing integration density and decreased feature size of current semiconductor technology, heterointegration of the Si-based devices with diamond has acted as a promising strategy to relieve the existing heat dissipation problem. As one of the heterointegration methods, the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) method is utilized to synthesize large-scale diamond films on a Si substrate, while distinct structures appear at the Si-diamond interface. Investigation of the formation mechanisms and modulation strategies of the interface is crucial to optimize the heat dissipation behaviors. By taking advantage of electron microscopy, the formation of the epitaxial ß-SiC interlayer is found to be caused by the interaction between the anisotropically sputtered Si and the deposited amorphous carbon. Compared with the randomly oriented ß-SiC interlayer, larger diamond grain sizes can be obtained on the epitaxial ß-SiC interlayer under the same synthesis condition. Moreover, due to the competitive interfacial reactions, the epitaxial ß-SiC interlayer thickness can be reduced by increasing the CH4/H2 ratio (from 3% to 10%), while further increase in the ratio (to 20%) can lead to the broken of the epitaxial relationship. The above findings are expected to provide interfacial design strategies for multiple large-scale diamond applications.

Dosage-effect of selenium supplementation on blood glucose and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus and normal mice.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of selenium (Se) supplementation on glycemic control is disparate. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effects of different dosages of Se diets on the blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, db/db) and normal (db/m) mice. METHODS: The db/db and db/m mice were fed with different dosages of Se supplemented diets (0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.9, 2.7 mg/kg) for 12 weeks, respectively. Se concentrations of tissues, physical and biochemical characteristics, oxidative stress indexes and gene expression related to glucose, lipid metabolism and Se transporters of liver were detected. RESULTS: The Se concentrations in tissues were related to the dosages of Se supplementation in db/db (blood: slope=11.69, r = 0.924; skeletal muscle: slope=0.36, r = 0.505; liver: slope=22.12, r = 0.828; kidney: slope=11.81, r = 0.736) and db/m mice (blood: slope=19.89, r = 0.876; skeletal muscle: slope=2.80, r = 0.883; liver: slope=44.75, r = 0.717; kidney: slope=60.15, r = 0.960). Compared with Se2.7 group, the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels of Se0.1 and Se0.3 group were decreased at week3 in db/db mice. Compared with control (Se0) group, the FBG levels of Se2.7 group were increased from week6 to week12 in db/m mice. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of Se0.3 group was lower than that of Se0.9 and Se2.7 group in db/m mice. Furthermore, compared with control group, the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in skeletal muscle of Se0.1 group was decreased, while that of Se2.7 group was increased in db/db mice; the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in skeletal muscle of Se0.3, Se0.9 and Se2.7 group was increased both in db/db and db/m mice. For db/db mice, glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic (G6pc) expression of other groups were lower and fatty acid synthase (Fasn) expression of Se0.9 group were lower compared with Se0.3 group. For db/m mice, compared with Se0.3 group, (peroxisome proliferative activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha) Pgc-1α expression of control and Se0.9 group were higher; (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1) Pck1 expression of Se0.1, Se0.9, and Se2.7 group were higher. CONCLUSION: Low dosages (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg) of Se supplementation exerted beneficial effects on FBG levels and glucose tolerance through regulating hepatic glycolysis and gluconeogenesis and inhibit the oxidative stress while high dosages of Se (0.9 and 2.7 mg/kg) supplementation enhanced FBG levels, impaired glucose tolerance and aggravate oxidative stress.

Nuclear Binding Protein 2/Nesfatin-1 Affects Trophoblast Cell Fusion during Placental Development via the EGFR-PLCG1-CAMK4 Pathway.

Previous studies have shown that nuclear binding protein 2 (NUCB2) is expressed in the human placenta and increases with an increase in the syncytialization of trophoblast cells. This study aimed to investigate the role of NUCB2 in the differentiation and fusion of trophectoderm cells. In this study, the expression levels of NUCB2 and E-cadherin in the placentas of rats at different gestation stages were investigated. The results showed that there was an opposite trend between the expression of placental NUCB2 and E-cadherin in rat placentas in different trimesters. When primary human trophoblast (PHT) and BeWo cells were treated with high concentrations of Nesfatin-1, the trophoblast cell syncytialization was significantly inhibited. The effects of NUCB2 knockdown in BeWo cells and Forskolin-induced syncytialization were investigated. These cells showed a significantly decreased cell fusion rate. The mechanism underlying NUCB2-regulated trophoblast cell syncytialization was explored using RNA-Seq and the results indicated that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLCG1)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CAMK4) pathway might be involved. The results suggested that the placental expression of NUCB2 plays an important role in the fusion of trophoblasts during differentiation via the EGFR-PLCG1-CAMK4 pathway.

27-Hydroxycholesterol inhibits trophoblast fusion during placenta development by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Trophoblast cell syncytialization is essential for placental and fetal development. Abnormal trophoblast cell fusion leads to pregnancy pathologies, such as preeclampsia (PE), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and miscarriage. 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) is the most abundant oxysterol in human peripheral blood synthesized by sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1) and is considered a critical mediator between hypercholesterolemia and a variety of related disorders. Gestational hypercholesterolemia was associated with spontaneous preterm delivery and low birth weight (LBW) in term infants, yet the mechanism is unclear. In this study, two trophoblast cell models and CD-1 mice were used to evaluate the effects of 27-OHC on trophoblast fusion during placenta development. Two different kinds of trophoblast cells received a dosage of 2.5, 5, or 10 uM 27-OHC. Three groups of pregnant mice were randomly assigned: control, full treatment (E0.5-E17.5), or late treatment (E13.5-E17.5). All mice received daily intraperitoneal injections of saline (control group) and 27-OHC (treatment group; 5.5 mg/kg). In vitro experiments, we found that 27-OHC inhibited trophoblast cell fusion in primary human trophoblasts (PHT) and forskolin (FSK)-induced BeWo cells. 27-OHC up-regulated the expression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway-related proteins. Moreover, the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 rescued the inhibitory effect of 27-OHC. Inhibition of trophoblast cell fusion by 27-OHC was also observed in CD-1 mice. Furthermore, fetal weight and placental efficiency decreased and fetal blood vessel development was inhibited in pregnant mice treated with 27-OHC. This study was the first to prove that 27-OHC inhibits trophoblast cell fusion by Activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. This study reveals a novel mechanism by which dyslipidemia during pregnancy results in adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Oat ß-glucan supplementation pre- and during pregnancy alleviates fetal intestinal immunity development damaged by gestational diabetes in rats.

Oat ß-glucan (OG) has been shown to improve intestinal microecology in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but the effect on fetal intestine health is unknown. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effects of OG supplementation during gestation in GDM dams on fetal intestinal immune development. OG was supplemented one week before mating until the end of the experiment. GDM rats were made with a high-fat diet (HFD) with a minimal streptozotocin (STZ) dose. The fetal intestines were sampled at gestation day (GD) 19.5, and the intestinal morphology, chemical barrier molecules, intraepithelial immune cell makers, and levels of inflammatory cytokines were investigated. The results showed that OG supplementation alleviated the decrease of the depth of fetal intestinal villi and crypts, the number of goblet cells (GCs), protein expression of mucin-1 (Muc1) and Muc2, the mRNA levels of Gpr41, Gpr43, and T cell markers, and increased the number of paneth cells (PCs), the mRNA levels of defensin-6 (defa6), and macrophage (Mø) marker and the expression of cytokines induced by GDM. In addition, OG supplementation alleviated the function of immune cell self-proliferation, chemotaxis and assembly capabilities, protein, fat, folic acid, and zinc absorption damaged by GDM. As indicated by these findings, OG supplementation before and during pregnancy improved the fetal intestinal chemical barriers, immune cells, cytokines, and the metabolism of nutrients to protect the fetal intestinal immunity.

Association of maternal HDL2-c concentration in the first trimester and the risk of large for gestational age birth.

BACKGROUND: Maternal lipid levels during pregnancy are critical for fetal development. Recent studies revealed that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels during pregnancy were negatively correlated with birthweight. High-density lipoprotein 2 cholesterol (HDL2-c) is one of the major subclasses of HDL-c, and its relationship with birthweight is unclear. Association of HDL2-c concentration in the first trimester and risk of large for gestational age (LGA) was explored. METHODS: This study recruited pregnant women who registered in Fuxing Hospital from October 2018 to January 2020, had regular obstetric examinations during pregnancy, and delivered between June 2019 and September 2020. Finally, 549 participants were recruited for the study. Maternal demographic characteristics and venous blood were collected at the 6th-14th gestational week, and serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-c, HDL2-c, high-density lipoprotein 3 cholesterol (HDL3-c), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) concentrations were detected. Neonatal characteristics were collected at delivery. A logistic regression model was used to explore the relationship between the first trimester HDL2-c concentration and LGA incidence. A nomogram was developed, and the performance was evaluated with a concordance index. RESULTS: Seventy-five mothers delivered LGA infants, and the LGA incidence was 13.66%. LGA mothers had significantly lower serum HDL-c and HDL2-c concentrations than appropriate for gestational age (AGA) mothers. A logistic regression model showed that HDL2-c concentration was negatively correlated with LGA risk (odds ratio (OR) = 0.237, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.099-0.567, P = 0.001) when adjusted for age, prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), and parity. A nomogram was generated using all these risk factors. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.663 (95% CI: 0.593-0.732). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal HDL2-c concentration in the first trimester was negatively correlated with the risk of LGA.

Nobiletin Inhibits Hypoxia-Induced Placental Damage via Modulating P53 Signaling Pathway.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of Nobiletin (NOB) on the placenta of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats that had undergone reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) surgery and to evaluate the safety of NOB intervention during pregnancy. The results showed that NOB alleviated placental hypoxia, attenuated placental cell apoptosis, and inhibited placental damage in RUPP rats. No side effect of NOB intervention during pregnancy was observed. BeWo cell lines with P53 knockdown were then constructed using lentiviral transfection, and the P53 signaling pathway was found to be essential for NOB to reduce hypoxia-induced apoptosis of the BeWo cell lines. In summary, NOB attenuated hypoxia-induced placental damage by regulating the P53 signaling pathway, and those findings may contribute some insights into the role of NOB in placental development and the prevention of placental-related diseases.

Synergetic Charge Transfer and Spin Selection in CO Oxidation at Neighboring Magnetic Single-Atom Catalyst Sites.

Deciphering the precise physical mechanism of interaction between an adsorbed species and a reactive site in heterogeneous catalysis is crucial for predictive design of highly efficient catalysts. Here, using first-principles calculations we identify that the two-dimensional ferromagnetic metal organic framework of Mn2C18H12 can serve as a highly efficient single-atom catalyst for spin-triplet O2 activation and CO oxidation. The underlying mechanism is via "concerted charge-spin catalysis", involving a delicate synergetic process of charge transfer, provided by the hosting Mn atom, and spin selection, preserved through active participation of its nearest neighboring Mn atoms for the crucial step of O2 activation. The synergetic mechanism is further found to be broadly applicable in O2 adsorption on magnetic X2C18H12 (X = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) with a well-defined linear scaling dependence between the chemical activity and spin excitation energy. The present findings provide new insights into chemical reactions wherein spin selection plays a vital role.

Changes in serum TG levels during pregnancy and their association with postpartum hypertriglyceridemia: a population-based prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Blood lipid increases during gestation are considered a physiological adaption, and decrease after delivery. However, some adverse pregnancy outcomes are thought to be related to gestational lipid levels. Therefore, it is necessary to have a reference range for lipid changes during gestation. The present study aims to describe triglyceride (TG) changes during pregnancy and 42 days postpartum and to find cut-off points for TG levels during the first, second, and third trimesters. METHODS: A total of 908 pregnant women were followed from recruitment to 42 days postpartum, and their serum lipids were collected at gestational weeks 6-8, 16, 24, and 36 and 42 days postpartum. The major outcome was postpartum hypertriglyceridemia. The association between gestational and postpartum TG levels was analysed by stepwise multiple linear regression. A two-stage approach including a linear mixed-effect model and linear or logistic regression was conducted to explore the contribution of the changes in TG over time in pregnancy to postpartum hypertriglyceridemia. Logistic regression was constructed to examine the association between gestational TG levels and postpartum hypertriglyceridemia. Cut-off points were calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: There was a tendency for serum TG to increase with gestational age and decrease at 42 days postpartum. Prepregnancy overweight, obesity, and GDM intensified this elevation. Higher TG levels at gestational weeks 6-8, 16, 24, and 36 were positively associated with a higher risk of postpartum hypertriglyceridemia [OR 4.962, 95 % CI (3.007-8.189); OR 2.076, 95 % CI (1.303-3.309); OR 1.563, 95 % CI (1.092-2.236); and OR 1.534, 95 % CI (1.208-1.946), respectively]. The trend of the change in TG over time was positively associated with the TG level and risk of postpartum hypertriglyceridemia [OR 11.660, 95 % CI (6.018-22.591)]. Based on ROC curves, the cut-off points of serum TG levels were 1.93, 2.35, and 3.08 mmol/L at gestational weeks 16, 24, and 36, respectively. Stratified analysis of prepregnancy body mass index (pre-BMI) and GDM showed that higher gestational TG was a risk factor for postpartum hypertriglyceridemia in women with normal pre-BMI and without GDM. CONCLUSIONS: Gestational TG and its elevation were risk and predictive factors of postpartum hypertriglyceridemia, especially in pregnant women with normal pre-BMI or without GDM.

Highly efficient catalytic properties of Sc and Fe single atoms stabilized on a honeycomb borophene/Al(111) heterostructure via a dual charge transfer effect.

Theoretical design and experimental fabrication of highly efficient single-atom catalysts (SACs) containing isolated metal atoms monodispersed on appropriate substrates have surged to the forefront of heterogeneous catalysis in recent years. Nevertheless, the instability of SACs, i.e., preferential clustering in chemical reaction processes, dramatically hinders their practical applications. In this paper, using first-principles calculations, we predict that a honeycomb borophene/Al(111) heterostructure can be an ideal candidate to stabilize and enhance the catalysis of many transition metal (TM) SACs via a dual charge transfer mechanism. The Al(111) substrate donates electrons to the pre-covered two-dimensional honeycomb borophene (h-B) to stabilize the latter, and the deposited TM atoms further provide electrons to the h-B, enhancing the covalent binding between the h-B and the Al(111) substrate. Intriguingly, during CO oxidation, the h-B/Al(111) heterostructure can in turn serve as an efficient electron reservoir to accept electrons from or donate electrons to the deposited TM-SACs and the reactants. Such a flexible dual charge transfer mechanism not only facilitates stabilizing the TM-SACs rather than clustering, but also effectively reduces the reaction barriers. Particularly, in contrast to expensive noble metal atoms such as Pd and Pt, low-cost Sc- and Fe-SACs are found to be the most promising SAC candidates that can be stabilized on h-B/Al(111) for O2 activation and CO oxidation, with fairly low reaction barriers (around 0.50-0.65 eV). The present findings may provide important theoretical guidance for the experimental fabrication of highly stable, efficient, and economic SACs stabilized on various heterostructure substrates.

Inter-chain double-site synergistic photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in robust cuprous coordination polymers.

Here, we evaluate photocatalytic H2 generation of three stable Cu-based coordination polymers (CPs), where each two-coordinated Cu(i) is stabilized in interchain -[Cu-imidazole(R)-Cu]- units. Importantly, a record-high H2 evolution rate of 57.64 mmol g-1 h-1 is identified for Cu-MIM. Theoretical calculations reveal that the excellent catalytic performances are due to the delicate synergies of the inter-chain double-site Cu atoms.

Strain Engineering of a Defect-Free, Single-Layer MoS2 Substrate for Highly Efficient Single-Atom Catalysis of CO Oxidation.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are of great scientific and technical importance due to their low cost, high site density, and high specificity to enhance chemical reactions. Nevertheless, a major issue that severely limits the practical exploration of SACs is their instability, i.e., the preference of sintering and clustering over a defect-free substrate during operation. Here, we employ first-principles calculations to investigate how substrate engineering can stabilize SACs by strain-tuning the electronic interactions between the metal and the substrate using two Pd adatoms on a defect-free, single-layer MoS2 as a typical example. It is identified that the Pd2 dimer is prone to dissociate and form highly efficient SACs for CO oxidation due to the enhanced charge transfer and orbital hybridization with the MoS2 substrate under a suitable tensile strain. The straining induces a semiconductive-to-metallic phase transition of the substrate. Moreover, low-cost elements, such as Ag, Ni, Cu, and Cr, can also be stabilized into high-performance SACs for CO oxidation with tunable reaction barriers by straining. The present findings offer a new avenue to inhibit the transition metal atoms from clustering into nanoclusters/particles and provide a clear guidance for the development of highly cost-efficient and stable SACs on defect-free substrates.