Lightweight, Elastic, and Superhydrophobic Multifunctional Organic-Inorganic Fibrous Aerogels for Efficient Oily Wastewater Purification and Electromagnetic Microwave Absorption.

Lightweight and robust aerogels with multifunctionality are highly desirable to meet the technological demands of current society. Herein, we designed lightweight, elastic, and superhydrophobic multifunctional organic-inorganic fibrous hybrid aerogels which were assembled with organic aramid nanofibers and inorganic hierarchical porous carbon fibers. Thanks to the organic-inorganic fiber hybridization strategy, the optimal aerogels possessed remarkable compressibility and elasticity. Benefiting from the microscopic hierarchical porous structure of carbon fibers and the macroscopic macroporous lamellar structure of aerogels, the optimal aerogels exhibited superb lightweight property, conspicuous electromagnetic microwave absorption ability, and outstanding oily wastewater purification capacity. As for electromagnetic microwave absorption, it achieved a strong reflection loss of -41.8 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth reached 6.86 GHz. Besides, the oil adsorption capacity for trichloromethane reached as high as 93.167 g g-1 with a capacity retention of 95.6% after 5 cycles. Meanwhile, it could act as a gravity-driven separation membrane to continuously separate trichloromethane from a trichloromethane-water mixture with a high flux of 7867.37 L·m-2·h-1, even for surfactant-stabilized water-in-n-heptane emulsions of 3794.94 L·m-2·h-1. Such a strategy might shed some light on the construction of multifunctional aerogels toward broader applications.

Screening optimal DC-targeting peptide to enhance the immune efficacy of recombinant Lactobacillus expressing RHDV VP60.

Dendritic cells (DCs) present an ideal target for delivering immunogenic cargo due to their potent antigen-presenting capabilities. This targeting approach holds promise in vaccine development by enhancing the efficiency of antigen recognition and capture by DCs. To identify a high-affinity targeting peptide binding to rabbit DCs, rabbit monocyte-derived DCs (raMoDCs) were isolated and cultured, and a novel peptide, HS (HSLRHDYGYPGH), was identified using a phage-displayed peptide library. Alongside HS, two other DC-targeting peptides, KC1 and MY, previously validated in our laboratory, were employed to construct recombinant Lactgobacillus reuteri fusion-expressed rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) capsid protein VP60. These recombinant Lactobacillus strains were named HS-VP60/L. reuteri, KC1-VP60/L. reuteri, and MY-VP60/L. reuteri. The ability of these recombinant Lactobacillus to bind rabbit DCs was evaluated both in vivo and in vitro. Results demonstrated that the DC-targeting peptide KC1 significantly enhanced the capture efficiency of recombinant Lactobacillus by raMoDCs, promoted DC maturation, and increased cytokine secretion. Furthermore, oral administration of KC1-VP60/L. reuteri effectively induced SIgA and IgG production in rabbits, prolonged rabbit survival post-challenge, and reduced RHDV copies in organs. In summary, the DC-targeting peptide KC1 exhibited robust binding to raMoDCs, and recombinant Lactobacillus expressing KC1-VP60 protein antigens efficiently induced systemic and mucosal immune responses in rabbits, conferring protective efficacy against RHDV. This study offers valuable insights for the development of novel RHDV vaccines.

Determinants of the interaction between the 5'-leader of HIV-1 genome and human lysyl-tRNA synthetase in reverse transcription primer release process.

Reverse transcription of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) initiates from the 3' end of human tRNALys3. The primer tRNALys3 is selectively packaged into the virus in the form of a complex with human lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS). To facilitate reverse transcription initiation, part of the 5' leader (5'L) of HIV-1 genomic RNA (gRNA) evolves a tRNA anticodon-like element (TLE), which binds LysRS and releases tRNALys3 for primer annealing and reverse transcription initiation. Although TLE has been identified as a key element in 5'L responsible for LysRS binding, how the conformations and various hairpin structures of 5'L regulate 5'L-LysRS interaction is not fully understood. Here, these factors have been individually investigated using direct and competitive fluorescence anisotropy binding experiments. Our data showed that the conformation of 5'L significantly influences its binding affinity with LysRS. The 5'L conformation favoring gRNA dimerization and packaging exhibits much weaker binding affinity with LysRS compared to the alternative 5'L conformation that is not selected for packaging. Additionally, dimerization of 5'L impairs LysRS-5'L interaction. Furthermore, among various regions of 5'L, both the primer binding site/TLE domain and the stem-loop 3 are important for LysRS interaction, whereas the dimerization initiation site and the splicing donor plays a minor role. In contrast, the presence of the transacting responsive and the polyadenylation signal hairpins slightly inhibit LysRS binding. These findings reveal that the conformation and various regions of the 5'L of HIV-1 genome regulate its interaction with human LysRS and the reverse transcription primer release process.

Topological phases and non-Hermitian topology in tunable nonreciprocal cyclic three-mode optical systems.

We propose a method for simulating a 1D non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with modulated nonreciprocal hopping using a cyclic three-mode optical system. The current system exhibits different localization of topologically nontrivial phases, which can be characterized by the winding number. We find that the eigenenergies of such a system undergo a real-complex transition as the nonreciprocal hopping changes, accompanied by a non-Bloch parity-time symmetry breaking. We explain this phase transition by considering the evolution of saddle points on the complex energy plan and the ratio of complex eigenenergies. Additionally, we demonstrate that the skin states resulting from the non-Hermitian skin effect possess higher-order exceptional points under the critical point of the non-Bloch parity-time phase transition. Furthermore, we investigate the non-Hermitian skin phase transition by the directional mean inverse participation ratio and the generalized Brillouin zone. This work provides an alternative way to investigate the novel topological and non-Hermitian effects in nonreciprocal optical systems.

Multimode Ultrasound Model for Predicting the Early Treatment Response of Anti-VEGF Agents Plus Anti-PD-1 Antibody in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study described was to establish prediction models to initially screen the beneficiary patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the treatment of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents plus anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibody. METHODS: A total of 62 patients were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent ultrasound (US), color ddoppler flowing imaging (CDFI), contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and laboratory examinations within 2 wk before the treatment. Tumor response was assessed according to mRECIST criteria. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to select the independent predictors. US + CDFI, CEUS and FULL models were established. Three models were displayed by nomography. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curves were drawn to evaluate the predictive ability of models. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess the clinical utility of models. RESULTS: On univariate and multivariate analysis, the US boundary (p = 0.037), halo (p = 0.002) and CDFI (p = 0.024) were included in the US + CDFI model. CEUS boundary (p = 0.001) and washout time (p < 0.001) were included in the CEUS model. The number of lesions (p = 0.104), halo on US (p = 0.014), CDFI (p = 0.057) and washout time on CEUS (p = 0.015) were incorporated into the FULL model. The C indices of the US + CDFI, CEUS and FULL models were 0.918, 0.920 and 0.973. CEUS and FULL models yielded a good net benefit for almost all threshold probabilities. CONCLUSION: Nomograms based on US, CDFI, CEUS and clinical characteristics could help to non-invasively predict the response to treatment with anti-PD-1 antibodies plus anti-VEGF agents.

Guanylate-binding protein 1 inhibits inflammatory factors produced by H5N1 virus through Its GTPase activity.

The combination of inflammatory factors resulting from an influenza A virus infection is one of the main causes of death in host animals. Studies have shown that guinea pig guanosine monophosphate binding protein 1 (guanylate-binding protein 1, gGBP1) can downregulate cytokine production induced by the influenza virus. Therefore, exploring the innate immune defense mechanism of GBP1 in the process of H5N1 influenza virus infection has important implications for understanding the pathogenic mechanism, disease prevention, and the control of influenza A virus infections. We found that, in addition to inhibiting the early replication of influenza virus, gGBP1 also inhibited the production of CCL2 and CXCL10 cytokines induced by the influenza virus as well as the proliferation of mononuclear macrophages induced by these cytokines. These findings further confirmed that gGBP1 inhibited the production of cytokines through its GTPase activity and cell proliferation through its C-terminal α-helix structure. This study revealed the effect of gGBP1 on the production of cellular inflammatory factors during influenza virus infection and determined the key amino acid residues that assist in the inhibitory processes mediated by gGBP1.

The safety and feasibility assessment of overlap esophagojejunostomy with self-pulling and latter transection technique in totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: This study presented an innovative technique in totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy (TLTG) for overlap esophagojejunostomy (E-J), termed self-pulling and latter transection (SPLT) (overlap SPLT). It evaluated the effectiveness and short-term outcomes of this novel method through a comparative analysis with the established functional end-to-end (FETE) E-J incorporating SPLT. METHODS: From September 2018 to September 2023, this study enrolled 68 patients with gastric cancer who underwent TLTG with overlap SPLT anastomosis and 120 patients who underwent TLTG with FETE SPLT anastomosis. Clinicopathologic characteristics and surgical and postoperative outcomes data for overlap SPLT cases were gathered and retrospectively compared with those from FETE SPLT TLTG to evaluate the effectiveness and clinical safety. RESULTS: The duration of anastomosis for overlap SPLT was 25.3 ± 7.4 minutes, significantly longer than that for the FETE SPLT (18.1 ± 4.0 minutes, P = .031). Perioperatively, 1 anastomosis-related complication occurred in each group, but this did not constitute a statistically significant difference (P = .682). No statistically significant differences were found between the 2 groups in terms of operative time, postoperative hospital stay, operative cost, surgical margins, or number of lymph nodes removed. Postoperative morbidity rates were similar between the groups (4.4% vs 5.8%, P = .676). CONCLUSION: The overlap SPLT technique is regarded as a safe and feasible method for anastomosis. There were no apparent differences in complications between overlap SPLT and FETE SPLT, but overlap SPLT costed 1 additional stapler cartridge and required a longer duration.

The circadian clock affects starvation resistance through the pentose phosphate pathway in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Disruption of the circadian clock can affect starvation resistance, but the molecular mechanism is still unclear. Here, we found that starvation resistance was significantly reduced in the core gene BmPer deficient mutant silkworms (Per-/-), but the mutant's starvation resistance increased with larval age. Under natural physiological conditions, the weight of mutant 5th instar larvae was significantly increased compared to wild type, and the accumulation ability of triglycerides and glycogen in the fat bodies was upregulated. However, under starvation conditions, the weight consumption of mutant larvae was increased and cholesterol utilization was intensified. Transcriptome analysis showed that beta-oxidation was significantly upregulated under starvation conditions, fatty acid synthesis was inhibited, and the expression levels of genes related to mitochondrial function were significantly changed. Further investigations revealed that the redox balance, which is closely related to mitochondrial metabolism, was altered in the fat bodies, the antioxidant level was increased, and the pentose phosphate pathway, the source of reducing power in cells, was activated. Our findings suggest that one of the reasons for the increased energy burden observed in mutants is the need to maintain a more robust redox balance in metabolic tissues. This necessitates the diversion of more glucose into the pentose phosphate pathway to ensure an adequate supply of reducing power.

Statin-Associated Liver Dysfunction and Muscle Injury: epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Management Strategies.

Surveillance of drug safety is an important aspect in the routine medical care. Adverse events caused by real-world drug utilization has become one of the leading causes of death and an urgent issue in the field of toxicology. Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of fatal diseases in most countries, especially in the elderly population who often suffer from multiple diseases and need long-term multidrug therapy. Among which, statins have been widely used to lower bad cholesterol and regress coronary plaque mainly in patients with hyperlipidemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). Although the real-world benefits of statins are significant, different degrees and types of adverse drug reactions (ADR) such as liver dysfunction and muscle injury, have a great impact on the original treatment regimens as well as the quality of life. This review describes the epidemiology, mechanisms, early identification and post-intervention of statin-associated liver dysfunction and muscle injury based on the updated clinical evidence. It provides systematic and comprehensive guidance and necessary supplement for the clinical safety of statin use in cardiovascular diseases.

Tunable photo/thermochromic properties of Cd(II)-viologen coordination polymers modulated by coordination modes for flexible imaging films and anti-counterfeiting.

Two photochromic Cd(II)-CPs were obtained based on the viologen ligand using different synthetic routes, named {[Cd4(p-BDC)4(CPB)2(H2O)2]·2H2O·EtOH}n (1) and {[Cd(p-BDC)(CPB)(H2O)]·(L)·DMF}n (2) (p-H2BDC = 1,4-benzene-dicarboxylate, HCPB·Cl = 1-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium·Cl, L = 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene, and DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide), respectively. Due to different coordination modes, the two Cd(II)-CPs show different structures. Compound 1 exhibits a three-dimensional (3D) framework with bimetallic nodes, while compound 2 displays a 2-fold interpenetrated (4,4) net topology. Notably, the two Cd(II)-CPs exhibit substantial disparities in photo/thermochromism, which can be attributed to variations in donor-acceptor (D-A) distances arising from structural differences. Compound 1 showed visually sensitive photo- and thermochromic behavior due to multi-pathway electron transfer and short D-A distances, which is relatively rare in electron-transfer type photochromic systems. In contrast, 2 only demonstrates insensitive photochromic behavior, with a slight deepening of the color observed after 2 hours of UV light, which is due to the mono-pathway electron transfer and long D-A distance. Moreover, we first combined Cd(II)-viologen CPs with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prepare a 1@PDMS flexible UV imaging film. 1@PDMS exhibits excellent bendability and stretchability and maintains good photochromic properties after 100 bending cycles. To demonstrate the rapid color response and distinct color contrast of 1, its application in anti-counterfeiting is also demonstrated.

Treatment outcomes amongst older people with HIV infection receiving antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVES: There is conflicting data regarding the response of older people with HIV (PWH) to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term immunological and virological responses, changes in regimen, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in older participants (50+ years) compared with younger (18-34 years) and middle-aged (35-49 years) PWH. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records was conducted on 1622 participants who received ART in Yunnan Province, China, from 2010 to 2019. The study compared CD4+ T-cell counts, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and relative numbers between different groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify variables associated with the occurrence of immune reconstitution insufficiency. The rates of immune reconstitution, incidence of ADRs, and rates of treatment change were analyzed using the chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Over 95% achieved viral load 200 copies/ml or less, with no age-related difference. However, older participants exhibited significantly lower CD4+ T-cell counts and CD4+/CD8+ recovery post-ART (P < 0.001), with only 32.21% achieving immune reconstitution (compared with young: 52.16%, middle-aged: 39.29%, P < 0.001) at the end of follow-up. Middle-aged and elderly participants changed ART regimens more because of ADRs, especially bone marrow suppression and renal dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Although the virological response was consistent across age groups, older individuals showed poorer immune responses and higher susceptibility to side effects. This underscores the need for tailored interventions and comprehensive management for older patients with HIV.

Tracing toxic path of antimony: From bioaccumulation to DNA hypomethylation in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The increasing concentration of Antimony (Sb) in ecological environments has raised serious concerns about its potential biotoxicological impact. This study investigated the toxicokinetics, Global DNA Methylation (GDM), biomarker expression, and Integrated Biological Response (IBR) of Sb at different concentrations in zebrafish. The toxic mechanism of Sb exposure was simulated using molecular dynamics (MD). The results showed that significant differences effect existed (BCFk: liver > ovary > gut > brain) and uptake saturation phenomenon of Sb among zebrafish tissues. Over a 54-day exposure period, the liver emerged as the main target site for Sb-induced GDM, and the restoration was slower than in other tissues during the 54-day recovery period. Moreover, the concentration of Sb had a significant impact on the normally expression of biomarkers, with GSTM1 inhibited and MTF2, MT1, TET3, and p53 showing varying degrees of activation at different Sb concentrations. This could be attributed to Sb3+ potentially occupying the active site or tightly binding to the deep cavity of these genes. The IBR and MD results highlighted DNMT1 as the most sensitive biomarker among those assessed. This heightened sensitivity can be attributed to the stable binding of Sb3+ to DNMT1, resulting in alterations in the conformation of DNMT1's catalytic domain and inhibition of its activity. Consequently, this disruption leads to damage to the integrity of GDM. The study suggests that DNA methylation could serve as a valuable biomarker for assessing the ecotoxicological impact of Sb exposure. It contributes to a better understanding of the toxicity mechanisms in aquatic environments caused potential pollutants.

[Effects of BMAL2 on Aerobic Glycolysis and Cell Proliferation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of basic helix-loop-helix ARNT like 2 (BMAL2) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and its correlation with prognosis, and analyze its effects on the aerobic glycolysis and proliferation of AML cells. METHODS: The expressions of BMAL2 in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) of AML patients and normal control group were detected by RT-qPCR. The correlation of BMAL2 expression with prognosis of AML patients was analyzed using public database of National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The interfering in BMAL2 expression of HL-60 and Kasumi-1 cells was performed using lentiviral vector-mediated shRNA. Cell glucose metabolism and proliferation were detected by using glucose uptake experiment, lactate content test, CCK-8 assay and cell colony formation test. RESULTS: The expression level of BMAL2 mRNA in BMMCs of AML patients was significantly higher than normal control group (P < 0.01). The overall survival time of AML patients with high expression of BMAL2 was significantly shorter than those with low expression of BMAL2 (P < 0.05). Knockdown of BMAL2 significantly reduced glucose uptake and lactate production in AML cell line HL-60 and Kasumi-1 cells. The results of RT-PCR and Western blot showed that BMAL2 promoted aerobic glycolysis by enhancing the expression of HIF1A in AML cells, thereby promoting cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: BMAL2 is highly expressed in AML patients, and promotes aerobic glycolysis by enhancing the expression of HIF1A, thereby promoting cell proliferation.

A review on triterpenoid and triterpenoid saponins from Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bung.

Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge, also known as Tu-Mu-Gua and Wen-Dan-Ge-Zi, has several applications. Clinical data and experimental studies have shown anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant properties of Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge that inhibits prostate hyperplasia, lowers blood pressure and lipid level, and treats enuresis and urinary incontinence. It also has neuroprotective effects and can treat Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's syndrome. The research on the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge has been increasing. Triterpenoid and triterpenoid saponins are the main constituents in Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge and exhibit biological activities. In this review, we summarized the research progress on triterpenoids and their glycosides in Xanthoceras sorbifolia, including the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and biogenic pathways of triterpenoid mother nucleus. The results would provide a reference for further research and development of triterpenoids and their glycosides in Xanthoceras sorbifolia.

Dynamic switching from coherent perfect absorption to parametric amplification in a nonlinear spoof plasmonic waveguide.

Coherent perfect absorption (CPA) and amplification of electromagnetic waves are converse phenomena, where incoming radiations are coherently dissipated or amplified by structured incidences. Realizing such two phenomena simultaneously in a single device may benefit various applications such as biological sensing, photo detection, radar stealth, solar-thermal energy sharing, and wireless communications. However, previous experimental realizations of CPA and amplification generally require precise controls to the loss and gain of a system, making dynamic switching between the absorption and amplification states a challenge. To this end, we propose a nonlinear approach to realize CPA and parametric amplification (PA) simultaneously at the same frequency and demonstrate experimentally dynamic switch from the CPA to PA states in a judiciously designed nonlinear spoof plasmonic waveguide. The measured output signal gain can be continuously tuned from -33 dB to 22 dB in a propagation length of 9.2 wavelengths. Compared to the traditional linear CPA, our approach relaxes the stringent requirements on device dimensions and material losses, opening a new route to actively modulate the electromagnetic waves with giant amplification-to-absorption contrast in a compact platform. The proposed nonlinear plasmonic platform has potential applications in on-chip systems and wireless communications.

Protective Mechanism of Polysaccharide ORP-1 Isolated from Oudemansiella raphanipes against Age-Related Cognitive Decline through the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis.

Age-related cognitive decline is primarily attributed to the progressive weakening of synaptic function and loss of synapses, while age-related gut microbial dysbiosis is known to impair synaptic plasticity and cognitive behavior by metabolic alterations. To improve the health of the elderly, the protective mechanisms of Oudemansiella raphanipes polysaccharide (ORP-1) against age-related cognitive decline are investigated. The results demonstrate that ORP-1 and its gut microbiota-derived metabolites SCFAs restore a healthy gut microbial population to handle age-related gut microbiota dysbiosis mainly by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria Dubosiella, Clostridiales, and Prevotellaceae and reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria Desulfovibrio, strengthen intestinal barrier integrity by abolishing age-related alterations of tight junction (TJ) and mucin 2 (MUC2) proteins expression, diminish age-dependent increase in circulating inflammatory factors, ameliorate cognitive decline by reversing memory- and synaptic plasticity-related proteins levels, and restrain hyperactivation of microglia-mediated synapse engulfment and neuroinflammation. These findings expand the understanding of prebiotic-microbiota-host interactions.

Role of STAT3 in cancer cell epithelial­mesenchymal transition (Review).

Since its discovery, the role of the transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), in both normal physiology and the pathology of numerous diseases, including cancer, has been extensively studied. STAT3 is aberrantly activated in different types of cancer, fulfilling a critical role in cancer progression. The biological process, epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT), is indispensable for embryonic morphogenesis. During the development of cancer, EMT is hijacked to confer motility, tumor cell stemness, drug resistance and adaptation to changes in the microenvironment. The aim of the present review was to outline recent advances in knowledge of the role of STAT3 in EMT, which may contribute to the understanding of the function of STAT3 in EMT in various types of cancer. Delineating the underlying mechanisms associated with the STAT3­EMT signaling axis may generate novel diagnostic and therapeutic options for cancer treatment.

Formation of Sb2O3 microcrystals by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa.

Antimony (Sb) pollution seriously endangers ecological environment and human health. Microbial induced mineralization can effectively convert metal ions into more stable and less soluble crystalline minerals by extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). In this study, an efficient Sb-resistant Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (R. mucilaginosa) was screened, which can resist 41 mM Sb(III) and directly transform Sb(III) into Sb2O3 microcrystals by EPS. The removal efficiency of R. mucilaginosa for 22 mM Sb(III) reached 70% by converting Sb(III) to Sb2O3. The components of supernatants as well as the effects of supernatants and pH on Sb(III) mineralization verified that inducible and non-inducible extracellular protein/polysaccharide biomacromolecules play important roles in the morphologies and sizes control of Sb2O3 formed by R. mucilaginosa respectively. Sb2O3 microcrystals with different morphologies and sizes can be prepared by the regulation of inducible and non-inducible extracellular biomacromolecules secreted by R. mucilaginosa. This is the first time to identify that R. mucilaginosa can remove Sb(III) by transforming Sb(III) into Sb2O3 microcrystals under the control of EPS. This study contributes to our understanding for Sb(III) biomineralization mechanisms and provides strategies for the remediation of Sb-contaminated environment.

Coupled effect of load weights and belt use on male shoulder pressure redistribution.

Shoulder pressure redistribution is jointly affected by backpack loads and belt support. However, the combined effect of both factors has rarely been fully evaluated. Here, we studied the coupled effect of backpack loads and belt support on shoulder pressure redistribution. All twenty-eight healthy male subjects underwent eight loading conditions with both chest and hip belts fastened (CH) and unfastened (CON) in four conditions where the backpack weighed 7.5, 15, 22.5, and 30% of body weight (BW). Shoulder pressure distribution was quantified through a pressure-sensing vest mat. The results showed that using the hip belt and chest belt was effective in relieving the high pressure in the lateral clavicle and medial trapezius region and strengthening the load-bearing capacity of shoulder. However, the assistance in pressure relief of using belt was weakened when load increased to 30% BW. This study also showed that the belt use can be effective in improving pressure asymmetry on both sides.

Compression caused by loads may result in shoulder injuries. An in-depth analysis of shoulder pressure distribution is necessary. This study showed that the hip-belt and chest-belt use was effective in relieving the high pressure in the lateral clavicle region and medial trapezius region and strengthening the load-bearing capacity of shoulder.