[Gualou Xiebai Banxia Decoction treats type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with acute myocardial infarction via chemerin/ CMKLR1/PPARα signaling pathway].

This study aims to investigate the effects of Gualou Xiebai Banxia Decoction(GXBD) on type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) combined with acute myocardial infarction(AMI) in rats via chemerin/chemokine-like receptor 1(CMKLR1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α(PPARα) signaling pathway, and to explore the mechanism of GXBD in alleviating glucose and lipid metabolism disorders. The SD rats were randomized into control, model, positive control, and low-and high-dose GXBD groups. The rat model of T2DM was established by administration with high-fat emulsion(HFE) by gavage and intraperitoneal injection with streptozotocin, and then coronary artery ligation was performed to induce AMI. The control and model groups were administrated with the equal volume of normal saline, and other groups were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage. Changes in relevant metabolic indicators were assessed by ELISA and biochemical assays, and the protein levels of chemerin, CMKLR1, and PPARα in the liver, abdominal fat, and heart were determined by Western blot. The results showed that GXBD alleviated the myocardial damage and reduced the levels of blood lipids, myocardial enzymes, and inflammatory cytokines, while it did not lead to significant changes in blood glucose. Compared with the model group, GXBD down-regulated the expression of chemerin in peripheral blood and up-regulated the expression of cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP) and protein kinase A(PKA) in the liver. After treatment with GXBD, the protein levels of chemerin and CMKLR1 in the liver, abdominal fat, and heart were down-regulated, while the protein levels of PPARα in the liver and abdominal fat were up-regulated. In conclusion, GXBD significantly ameliorated the disorders of glycolipid metabolism in the T2DM-AMI model by regulating the chemerin/CMKLR1/PPARα signaling pathway to exert a protective effect on the damaged myocardium. This study provides a theoretical basis for further clinical study of GXBD against T2DM-AMI and is a manifestation of TCM treatment of phlegm and turbidity causing obstruction at the protein level.

Cu-N4 in copper phthalocyanine@CFC catalyst for ammonia oxidation reaction catalysis.

The high oxidation overpotential in the ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) is a key factor restricting the fields of ammonia fuel cells, hydrogen production by electrochemical decomposition of ammonia, and treatment of ammonia-containing wastewater. Copper-based catalysts have been considered hopeless for AOR; however, in this research, copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) catalysts grown on carbon fiber cloth (CFC), CuPc@CFC, were investigated firstly for AOR catalysis, and the unique Cu-N4 resulted in a peak potential of -0.29 V vs. Hg/HgO for AOR, which is superior to Pt/C. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that Cu-N4 is the reactive center of AOR, and the LUMO of CuPc is distributed on the Cu site, which is favorable to gain electrons from NH3 and thus adsorb NH3; in contrast, the HOMO of C10H10CuN8 is distributed on the Cu site, which tends to give electrons and is unfavorable to NH3 adsorption. However, copper azide pyridine (C10H10CuN8) was found in the samples after the AOR. Analysis of the comparison samples showed that changing the ethanol content has the effect of changing the grain size and inhibiting the generation of C10H10CuN8 after the AOR process, as well as slightly changing the Cu-N4, leading to the change of its Fermi energy level and d-orbital energy level center, thus providing new ideas for the future fabrication of catalysts in various fields of AOR.

Co-doped CeO2/N-C nanorods as a bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst and its application in rechargeable Zn-air batteries.

The development of electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with high-activity and atability still remain great challenges for rechargeable Zn-air batteries. Herein, a new type of Co-doped Ce-N-C bifunctional electrocatalyst has been synthesized through a simple two-step method, which realizes the high dispersion of Co3O4on the CeO2carbon frame and stabilizes its specific surface area. Benefiting from the synergistic interaction between Co3O4and CeO2, the conductivity of the electrocatalyst is improved and the oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen storage properties are promoted. The resultant Co3O4-CeO2@N-C catalyst shows remarkable ORR activity with the high initial potential (E0 = 0.8 V), the large limiting current density (jL = 6 mA cm-2), and a low Tafel slope (81 mV dec-1). In full cell tests, Co3O4-CeO2@NC as the oxygen electrode exhibites superior charge/discharge capacity and excellent cycle stability. The assembled Zn-air battery achieves a maximum power density of 110 mW cm-2at a current density of 180 mA cm-2, and a high specific capacity of 780 mAh g-1at a discharge current density of 10 mA cm-2.

Creation of a longitudinally polarized photonic nanojet via an engineered microsphere.

Dielectric microspheres exhibit the ability to focus an incident beam to a subwavelength spot with strong localized field intensity. In this Letter, a high beam quality of a longitudinally polarized electromagnetic component is created by decorating the surface of the microsphere with engineered structures. By changing the design of the engineered microspheres, the relative contribution of the longitudinal and radial components of a radially polarized incident beam to the photonic nanojet can be modified efficiently, leading to a sharp spot size which exceeds the optical diffraction limit. More importantly, a high conversion efficiency of 0.89 is achieved. At a wavelength of 633 nm, a focal spot of 266 nm (0.42λ) is achieved numerically by illuminating the engineered microsphere with a focusing beam at a numerical aperture of 0.7.

Temperature-controlled photonic nanojet via VO2 coating.

In this work, a numerical investigation of how temperature can tune the FWHM and working distance (WD) of a photonic nanojet (PNJ) is conducted. Vanadium oxide (VO2), a phase change material, is coated onto the top half-surface of a glass microsphere and illuminated with incident light at a wavelength of 800 nm. As VO2 changes from semiconducting to metallic phase, the refractive index of the VO2 layer changes at its transition temperature of 68°C. It is found that a coating of 75 nm on a 5.0 µm diameter microsphere with a refractive index of 1.50 is the most optimal, as it tunes the FWHM the greatest while remaining thin enough to have a high transmission. When temperature is raised from 20°C to 90°C, the FWHM varies from 0.43 to 0.37 µm, corresponding to a 14.0% change. The WD varies from 0.29 to 0.20 µm, corresponding to a 31.0% change. Tunable PNJs have potential applications in tunable nanolithography and imaging.

The influence of residential Environment and residential experience on psychological depression in older adults: Evidence from China and Europe.

This cross-national study examined the influence of residential environment and experience on depression in older adults in China and Europe to address existing research gaps. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and employing ridge regression, it was found that residential environment and experience have a significant influence on older adults' depression. The influence of residential experience aligns with the sensitivity period hypothesis. The environment in which older adults live during specific age periods leaves an imprint on their psyche. This imprint is activated when specific environments are encountered in old age, thereby influencing the level of depression. This study examined how their influence on depression contributes to understanding older adults' housing preferences and can guide housing-related policies.

Analysis of residential satisfaction in the conversion of Beijing's stock buildings into rental housing.

This paper investigates the residential satisfaction levels of tenants living in rental housing converted from non-residential stock buildings in Beijing. A stratified random sampling method was used to select 353 tenants from five apartments based on the plan form and location of the units for a structured questionnaire survey. The results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that subjective attributes were more influential in determining residential satisfaction than the objective physical and demographic attributes of the apartments. Within the five dimensions of subjective attributes, the "interior space" dimension had the greatest impact on predicting residential satisfaction. In addition, a one-way ANOVA analysis showed that the floor plan of the apartments also played a significant role in determining residential satisfaction, S-type and office park-type (Converted from an office park) layouts received the highest satisfaction ratings. This research provides valuable insights for revitalizing non-residential stock buildings and offers theoretical support for converting more non-residential stock buildings into rental housing in the future.

Loss of SIL1 Affects Actin Dynamics and Leads to Abnormal Neural Migration.

SIL1 is a nucleotide exchange factor for the molecular chaperone protein Bip in the endoplasmic reticulum that plays a crucial role in protein folding. The Sil1 gene is currently the only known causative gene of Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (MSS). Intellectual developmental disability is the main symptom of MSS, and its mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Studies have shown that mutations in the Sil1 gene can delay neuronal migration during cortical development, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. To further identify potential molecules involved in the regulation of central nervous system development by SIL1, we established a cortical neuron model with SIL1 protein deficiency and used proteomic analysis to screen for differentially expressed proteins after Sil1 silencing, followed by GO functional enrichment and protein‒protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. We identified 68 upregulated and 137 downregulated proteins in total, and among them, 10 upregulated and 3 downregulated proteins were mainly related to actin cytoskeleton dynamics. We further validated the differential changes in actin-related molecules using qRT‒PCR and Western blotting of a Sil1 gene knockout (Sil1-/-) mouse model. The results showed that the protein levels of ACTN1 and VIM decreased, while their mRNA levels increased as a compensatory response to protein deficiency. The mRNA and protein levels of IQGAP1 both showed a secondary increase. In conclusion, we identified ACTN1 and VIM as the key molecules regulated by SIL1 that are involved in neuronal migration during cortical development.

GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor attenuated neuronal apoptosis in the mouse model of HIBD through inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress-activated PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway.

Introduction: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) refers to brain damage in newborns caused by hypoxia and reduced or even stopped cerebral blood flow during the perinatal period. Currently, there are no targeted treatments for neonatal ischemic hypoxic brain damage, primarily due to the incomplete understanding of its pathophysiological mechanisms. Especially, the role of NMDA receptors is less studied in HIBD. Therefore, this study explored the molecular mechanism of endogenous protection mediated by GluN2B-NMDAR in HIBD. Method: Hypoxic ischemia was induced in mice aged 9-11 days. The brain damage was examined by Nissl staining and HE staining, while neuronal apoptosis was examined by Hoechst staining and TTC staining. And cognitive deficiency of mice was examined by various behavior tests including Barnes Maze, Three Chamber Social Interaction Test and Elevated Plus Maze. The activation of ER stress signaling pathways were evaluated by Western blot. Results: We found that after HIBD induction, the activation of GluN2B-NMDAR attenuated neuronal apoptosis and brain damage. Meanwhile, the ER stress PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway was activated in a time-dependent manner after HIBE. Furthermore, after selective inhibiting GluN2B-NMDAR in HIBD mice with ifenprodil, the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway remains continuously activated, leading to neuronal apoptosis, morphological brain damage. and aggravating deficits in spatial memory, cognition, and social abilities in adult mice. Discussion: The results of this study indicate that, unlike its role in adult brain damage, GluN2B in early development plays a neuroprotective role in HIBD by inhibiting excessive activation of the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway. This study provides theoretical support for the clinical development of targeted drugs or treatment methods for HIBD.

Intrauterine injection of bioengineered hydrogel loaded exosomes derived from HUCM stem cells and spermidine prominently augments the pregnancy rate in thin endometrium rats.

The endometrium is essential to the development of embryos and pregnancy. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs) are promising stem cell sources. HUCMSCs self-renew quickly and are painless to collect. Spermidine is an inherent polyamine needed for cellular and molecular processes that regulate physiology and function. HUCMSCs and spermidine (SN) may heal intrauterine adhesions. HUCMSCs were investigated for endometrial repair in rats. Composite hydrogels are used for medical exosome implantation, including their materials, properties, and embedding procedures. This study examined whether bioengineered hydrogel-loaded exosomes from HUCMSCs and spermidine prenatally improved conception rates in mice with poor endometrial lining. The data show that HUCMSC and SN provide a good experimental base for HUCMSC safety and intrauterine treatment in rats. Western blots, exosome structural analysis, pregnancy outcomes, flow cytometry, H&E staining, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence labelling found and recovered the aberrant area. HUCM-derived stem cells and spermidine-derived exosomes biophysically match. These traits strengthen and prolong endometrial function. Pregnant rats with HUCMSC and SN had thinner endometrium. Hydrogel-incorporated HEHUCMSC and SN exosomes may improve IUI in rats with thin endometrium.

Coordination-Assisted Construction of Ultra-Fine Metal Nanoparticle Composites for Stable Sodium-Ion Battery Anodes.

Ultra-fine nanoparticles (uf-NPs) embedded in hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) have been proven to possess intriguing properties for various energy storage applications, but effective synthetic control is still lacking. Herein, we present an efficient coordination anchor activation (CAA) strategy for the scalable synthesis and elaborate control of a series of uf-NPs embedded in HPC (Sb@HPC and FeSb2@HPC as examples), which is achieved by taking advantage of the coordination capability of industrial ionic exchange resins. The in situ coordination-anchored uf-NPs and the tailored hierarchical porous HPC enables superior rate capability (533.1 mA h g-1 at 3.30 A g-1 for Sb@HPC, 276.0 mA h g-1 at 5.37 A g-1 for FeSb2@HPC), enhanced cycling stability, and high reversible areal capacity (5.02 mA h cm-2). Our study demonstrates a potentially scalable uf-NP synthesis strategy with industrial raw materials that can be applied to a large variety of energy materials.

Proteomic analysis of radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer identifies CHI3L1 upregulation in association with dysfunction of the sodium-iodine symporter.

Radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC) is the main factor adversely affecting the overall survival rate of patients with thyroid cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of pathogenesis of RR-DTC and to explore novel therapeutic targets for clinical treatment. A proteomic analysis was performed using the tumor tissues of patients with RR-DTC. A total of 6 metastatic lymph nodes were collected during lymph node dissection, 3 from patients with RR-DTC and 3 from patients with papillary thyroid cancer. The expression of chitinase-3-like 1 (CHI3L1) and sodium-iodine symporter (NIS) in the tumor tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Western blotting was used to detect the expression of CHI3L1, phosphorylated (p)-MEK and p-ERK1/2 in PTC-K1 cells transfected with CHI3L1 overexpression vector. The proteomic analysis identified 665 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), including 327 upregulated and 338 downregulated proteins in the RR-DTC group, which were enriched in 59 signaling pathways by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database analysis. In particular, CHI3L1 was demonstrated to be significantly upregulated in RR-DTC as evidenced by quantitative proteomic analysis and IHC. Western blotting suggested that the overexpression of CHI3L1 activated the MEK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which may lead to NIS dysfunction. In conclusion, the present study suggests that CHI3L1 is a potential molecular target for the radiotherapy of patients with RR-DTC.

The regulatory role of endoplasmic reticulum chaperone proteins in neurodevelopment.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the largest tubular reticular organelle spanning the cell. As the main site of protein synthesis, Ca2+ homeostasis maintenance and lipid metabolism, the ER plays a variety of essential roles in eukaryotic cells, with ER molecular chaperones participate in all these processes. In recent years, it has been reported that the abnormal expression of ER chaperones often leads to a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including abnormal neuronal migration, neuronal morphogenesis, and synaptic function. Neuronal development is a complex and precisely regulated process. Currently, the mechanism by which neural development is regulated at the ER level remains under investigation. Therefore, in this work, we reviewed the recent advances in the roles of ER chaperones in neural development and developmental disorders caused by the deficiency of these molecular chaperones.

Extensive peritoneal implant metastases of malignant struma ovarii treated by thyroidectomy and 131I therapy: A case report.

RATIONALE: Malignant struma ovarii is extremely rare in the clinic. The diagnosis and modalities of treatment are still controversial. Here we describe a case of extensive peritoneal implant metastasis originating from malignant struma ovarii discovered 14 years after ovariectomy and chemotherapy. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 48-year-old female was admitted to our clinic due to hematochezia with a past history of left malignant struma ovarii. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) examination suggested multiple metastasis nodules in the abdomen and pelvic cavity. DIAGNOSES: Laparoscopy biopsy results of intraperitoneal nodules showed a metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma. While pathological examination after total thyroidectomy showed no definite malignant tumor component in the thyroid tissue. Finally, combined with the patient's past history of malignant struma ovarii, peritoneal implantation metastasis derived from the malignant struma ovarii was diagnosed. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated by total thyroidectomy and iodine 131 (I) therapy. Post-therapy iodine scan and the single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) fusion image showed iodine uptake in the distal descending colon, sigmoid colon, rectal lesions, and a larger lesion in the liver. OUTCOME: After treatment, although the thyroid globulin remained at a high level 3 months after treatment, the patient's hematochezia was relieved. LESSONS: Therefore, thyroidectomy followed by adjuvant I treatment should be recommended in patients with malignant struma ovarii as metastatic risk is difficult to predict based on histopathologic examination.

Gel/Space Ratio Evolution in Ternary Composite System Consisting of Portland Cement, Silica Fume, and Fly Ash.

In cement-based pastes, the relationship between the complex phase assemblage and mechanical properties is usually described by the "gel/space ratio" descriptor. The gel/space ratio is defined as the volume ratio of the gel to the available space in the composite system, and it has been widely studied in the cement unary system. This work determines the gel/space ratio in the cement-silica fume-fly ash ternary system (C-SF-FA system) by measuring the reaction degrees of the cement, SF, and FA. The effects that the supplementary cementitious material (SCM) replacements exert on the evolution of the gel/space ratio are discussed both theoretically and practically. The relationship between the gel/space ratio and compressive strength is then explored, and the relationship disparities for different mix proportions are analyzed in detail. The results demonstrate that the SCM replacements promote the gel/space ratio evolution only when the SCM reaction degree is higher than a certain value, which is calculated and defined as the critical reaction degree (CRD). The effects of the SCM replacements can be predicted based on the CRD, and the theological predictions agree with the test results quite well. At low gel/space ratios, disparities in the relationship between the gel/space ratio and the compressive strength are caused by porosity, which has also been studied in cement unary systems. The ratio of cement-produced gel to SCM-produced gel ( G C to G S C M ratio) is introduced for use in analyzing high gel/space ratios, in which it plays a major role in creating relationship disparities.

Super-focusing of center-covered engineered microsphere.

Engineered microsphere possesses the advantage of strong light manipulation at sub-wavelength scale and emerges as a promising candidate to shrink the focal spot size. Here we demonstrated a center-covered engineered microsphere which can adjust the transverse component of the incident beam and achieve a sharp photonic nanojet. Modification of the beam width and working distance of the photonic nanojet were achieved by tuning the cover ratio of the engineered microsphere, leading to a sharp spot size which exceeded the optical diffraction limit. At a wavelength of 633 nm, a focal spot of 245 nm (0.387 λ) was achieved experimentally under plane wave illumination. Strong localized field with Bessel-like distribution was demonstrated by employing the linearly polarized beam and a center-covered mask being engineered on the microsphere.

Improved optical limiting performance of laser-ablation-generated metal nanoparticles due to silica-microsphere-induced local field enhancement.

For practical application, optical limiting materials must exhibit a fast response and a low threshold in order to be used for the protection of the human eye and electro-optical sensors against intense light. Many nanomaterials have been found to exhibit optical limiting properties. Laser ablation offers the possibility of fabricating nanoparticles from a wide range of target materials. For practical use of these materials, their optical limiting performance, including optical limiting threshold and the ability to efficiently attenuate high intensity light, needs to be improved. In this paper, we fabricate nanoparticles of different metals by laser ablation in liquid. We study the optical nonlinear properties of the laser-generated nanoparticle dispersion. Silica microspheres are used to enhance the optical limiting performance of the nanoparticle dispersion. The change in the optical nonlinear properties of the laser-generated nanoparticle dispersion caused by silica microspheres is studied. It is found that the incident laser beam is locally focused by the microspheres, leading to an increased optical nonlinearity of the nanoparticle dispersion.