Age-effects of sport education model on basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation of adolescent students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores the age effects of the sport education model(SEM) on the impact of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and intrinsic motivation (interest, enjoyment, satisfaction) among adolescent students. METHOD: Retrieval of relevant literature from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The search period ranged from the starting year to January 7, 2024. Subsequently, literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment will be conducted, and data analysis will be performed using "Review Manager 5.4" software. RESULT: Overall, SEM has a positive and statistically significant impact on the basic psychological needs (MD = 0.36,95% CI [0.22, 0.50]) and intrinsic motivation (MD = 0.75, 95% CI [0.58, 0.93]) of adolescent students (P<0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed age effects on the impact of SEM on the basic psychological needs of adolescent students: pre-peak height velocity (PRE-PHV) (MD = 0.39, 95% CI [0.23, 0.56], I2 = 45%, P<0.01), mid-peak height velocity (MID-PHV) (MD = 0.22, 95% CI [0.01, 0.42], I2 = 82%, P<0.05), post-peak height velocity (POST-PHV) (MD = 1.27, 95% CI [0.79, 1.74], I2 = 0%, P<0.01). Similarly, age effects were found for intrinsic motivation: MID-PHV (MD = 0.86, 95% CI [0.62, 1.11], I2 = 68%, P<0.01), POST-PHV (MD = 0.56, 95% CI [0.40, 0.72], I2 = 0%, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The SEM is an effective approach to enhancing the basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation of adolescent students. However, it exhibits age effects among students at different developmental stages. Specifically, in terms of enhancing basic psychological needs, the model has the greatest impact on POST-PHV students, followed by PRE-PHV students, while the improvement effect is relatively lower for MID-PHV students. The enhancement effect on intrinsic motivation diminishes with increasing age.

Enantiodivergent kinetic resolution of 4-substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines employing amine oxidase.

Optically pure 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines (THQs) represent a class of important motifs in many natural products and pharmaceutical agents. While recent advances on redox biocatalysis have demonstrated the great potential of amine oxidases, all the transformations focused on 2-substituted THQs. The corresponding biocatalytic method for the preparation of chiral 4-substituted THQs is still challenging due to the poor activity and stereoselectivity of the available enzyme. Herein, we developed a biocatalytic kinetic resolution approach for enantiodivergent synthesis of 4-phenyl- or alkyl-substituted THQs. Through structure-guided protein engineering of cyclohexylamine oxidase derived from Brevibacterium oxidans IH-35 A (CHAO), the variant of CHAO (Y215H/Y214S) displayed improved specific activity toward model substrate 4-phenyl substituted THQ (0.14 U/mg, 13-fold higher than wild-type CHAO) with superior (R)-stereoselectivity (E > 200). Molecular dynamics simulations show that CHAO Y215H/Y214S allows a suitable substrate positioning in the expanded binding pocket to be facilely accessed, enabling enhanced activity and stereoselectivity. Furthermore, a series of 4-alkyl-substituted THQs can be transformed by CHAO Y215H/Y214S, affording R-isomers with good yields (up to 50 %) and excellent enantioselectivity (up to ee > 99 %). Interestingly, the monoamine oxidase from Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1 (PfMAO1) with opposite enantioselectivity was also mined. Together, this system enriches the kinetic resolution methods for the synthesis of chiral THQs.

Modulatory effects of fermented Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua on immune homeostasis and gut integrity in a dextran-sulfate-sodium-induced colitis model.

The gut health-promoting properties of saponin-rich Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (FP) fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum P9 were explored in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. FP supplementation effectively inhibited DSS-induced physiological alteration and impaired immune responses by reducing the disease activity index (DAI) score and restoring the T helper (Th) 1/Th2 and regulatory T (Treg)/Th17 ratios. In addition, FP supplementation protected the gut barrier function against DSS-induced damage via upregulation of zonula occludens (ZO)-1 and occludin and downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-18, and the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). This study further elucidated the potential mechanisms underlying the FP-mediated suppression of the plasticity of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) and subsequent macrophage polarization. Therefore, the FP supplementation effectively restored mucosal immune homeostasis and enhanced gut integrity. In addition, it suppressed the growth of Escherichia-Shigella and Enterococcus and promoted the enrichment of probiotics and short-chain fatty acid-producing microbes, such as Romboutsia, Faecalibaculum, and Blautia. In conclusion, P. cyrtonema Hua fermented with L. plantarum P9 might be a promising dietary intervention to improve gut health by sustaining overall gut homeostasis and related gut integrity.

XylR Overexpression in Escherichia coli Alleviated Transcriptional Repression by Arabinose and Enhanced Xylitol Bioproduction from Xylose Mother Liquor.

Xylitol is a polyol widely used in food, pharmaceuticals, and light industries. It is currently produced through the chemical catalytic hydrogenation of xylose and generates xylose mother liquor as a substantial byproduct in the procedure of xylose extraction. If xylose mother liquor could also be efficiently bioconverted to xylitol, the greenness and atom economy of xylitol production would be largely improved. However, xylose mother liquor contains a mixture of glucose, xylose, and arabinose, raising the issue of carbon catabolic repression in its utilization by microbial conversion. Targeting this challenge, the transcriptional activator XylR was overexpressed in a previously constructed xylitol-producing E. coli strain CPH. The resulting strain CPHR produced 16.61 g/L of xylitol in shake-flask cultures from the mixture of corn cob hydrolysate and xylose mother liquor (1:1, v/v) with a xylose conversion rate of 90.1%, which were 2.23 and 2.15 times higher than the starting strain, respectively. Furthermore, XylR overexpression upregulated the expression levels of xylE, xylF, xylG, and xylH genes by 2.08-2.72 times in arabinose-containing medium, suggesting the alleviation of transcriptional repression of xylose transport genes by arabinose. This work lays the foundation for xylitol bioproduction from xylose mother liquor.

Efficacy of a single Nd:YAG laser dose in reducing pain after mandibular third molar extraction: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial.

The purpose is to explore the analgesic effect of a single Nd:YAG laser dose after mandibular third molar extraction. This was a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial. Subjects were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly divided into the experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, the wound was irradiated with the Nd:YAG laser (wavelength, 1064 nm; output power, 1.5 W; energy density, 45 J/cm2; and power density, 1.5/cm2, pulsed mode) immediately after mandibular third molar extraction for 120 s (30 s at each site). In the control group, the laser working tip was placed near the extraction site but not activated. The primary outcome was the visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores in both groups at 2, 4, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h and 7 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included wound healing scores and adverse reactions. The VAS score was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group at 2 and 4 h after surgery, while there was no significant difference in the VAS score between the two groups at 12, 24, or 48 h or 7 days after surgery. There were no significant differences in the wound healing scores between the two groups on postoperative day 7. No adverse reactions were observed in any of the laser-irradiated areas. A single Nd:YAG laser dose was effective in reducing pain at 2 and 4 h after mandibular third molar extraction. China Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000033870 (Registration Date: 2020-6-15).

High-Efficiency Adsorption of Cr(VI) and Mn(VII) from Wastewater by a Two-Dimensional Copper-Based Metal-Organic Framework.

Cr(VI) and Mn(VII) in industrial wastewater have certain toxicity, and they pose a threat to the environment and human health and safety. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) usually have rich adsorption sites and a large specific surface area. They can effectively adsorb Cr(VI) and Mn(VII) from wastewater. In this paper, a two-dimensional copper-based metal-organic framework, {[Cu·(4,4'-bpy)2·(H2O)]·2(NO3)·6(H2O)·(CH3OH)}n (1), is synthesized by hydrothermal synthesis. The structure of 1 is characterized by Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, element analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that 1 had a two-dimensional network structure, and the specific surface area of the nanostructure was 67.63 m2/g. The nanostructure of 1 could efficiently adsorb Cr(VI) and Mn(VII) from wastewater. The adsorption properties of Cr(VI) and Mn (VII) of 1 showed that the optimal concentration of both adsorbents was 0.2 g/L. It has good adsorption performance in the pH range 4-8. The adsorption performance is the best when pH is 7, which can reach 145 and 83 mg/g, respectively.

Anthocyanin-Rich Butterfly Pea Flower Extract Ameliorating Low-Grade Inflammation in a High-Fat-Diet and Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Mouse Model.

This study aimed to explore the enhancive effects of butterfly pea flower (BF) extracts on metabolic and immune homeostasis in a low-grade inflammation mouse model. The BF extract was found to contain mainly anthocyanins among other flavonoids. BF supplementation alleviated metabolic endotoxemia by lowering the plasma glucose, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels and restored lipid metabolism and the balance between Treg and Th17 cells, thereby inhibiting the dysfunctional liver and abdominal white adipose tissues. BF extract increased the tight junction protein expression and reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, therefore sustaining the colonic mucosa structure. Furthermore, BF extracts reshaped the gut microbiota structure characterized by significantly promoted SCFA-producing gut microbiota such as Akkermansia and Butyricicoccaceae. Additionally, BF extracts enhanced fecal primary bile acid (BA) levels and modulated bile acid signaling in the liver and ileum to facilitate BA synthesis for the restoration of lipid metabolism. In summary, anthocyanin-enriched BF extracts alleviated the profound negative dietary alterations and helped maintain the metabolic health by modulating the various aspects of the gut microenvironment and enhancing hepatic bile acid synthesis.

Effect of 320-Row Computed Tomography Acquisition Technology on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography-Derived Fractional Flow Reserve Based on Machine Learning: Systolic and Diastolic Scan Acquisition.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to investigate the performance of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) in the same patient evaluated by different systolic and diastolic scans, aiming to explore whether 320-slice CT scanning acquisition protocol has an impact on CT-FFR value. METHODS: One hundred forty-six patients with suspected coronary artery stenosis who underwent CCTA examination were included into the study. The prospective electrocardiogram gated trigger sequence scan was performed and electrocardiogram editors selected 2 optimal phases of systolic phase (preset collection trigger at 25% of R-R interval) and diastolic phase (preset collection trigger at 75% of R-R interval) for reconstruction. The lowest CT-FFR value (the CT-FFR value at the distal end of each vessel) and the lesion CT-FFR value (at 2 cm distal to the stenosis) after coronary artery stenosis were calculated for each vessel. The difference of CT-FFR values between the 2 scanning techniques was compared using paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Pearson correlation value and Bland-Altman were performed to evaluate the consistency of CT-FFR values. RESULTS: A total of 366 coronary arteries from the remaining 122 patients were analyzed. There was no significant difference regarding the lowest CT-FFR values between systole phase and diastole phase across all vessels. In addition, there was no significant difference in the lesion CT-FFR value after coronary artery stenosis between systole phase and diastole phase across all vessels. The CT-FFR value between the 2 reconstruction techniques had excellent correlation and minimal bias in all groups. The correlation coefficient of the lesion CT-FFR values for left anterior descending branch, left circumflex branch, and right coronary artery were 0.86, 0.84, and 0.76, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary computed tomography angiography-derived fractional flow reserve based on artificial intelligence deep learning neural network has stable performance, is not affected by the acquisition phase technology of 320-slice CT scan, and has high consistency with the evaluation of hemodynamics after coronary artery stenosis.

Regulatory Effect of Isomaltodextrin on a High-Fat Diet Mouse Model with LPS-Induced Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation.

This study aimed to identify the effects of isomaltodextrin (IMD) on sustaining the gut integrity and microbiota composition in a high-fat diet (HFD) with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced low-grade inflammation mouse model. The homeostasis of the immune response is important to reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndromes. The results of this study showed that pre-treatment of IMD at 5% (w/v) suppressed the concentration of endotoxin and pro-inflammatory mediators TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-6 while increasing the adiponectin level in the plasma. Subsequently, IMD supplementation maintained the structural integrity and intestinal permeability by upregulating the tight junction protein expressions, leading to reducing D-mannitol concentration in the blood. In addition, dysbiosis was observed in mice induced by HFD plus LPS, suggesting that unhealthy dietary factors elicit metabolic endotoxemia and associated dysbiosis to impair the barrier function. However, IMD supplementation was shown to restore the microbial diversity, promote the growth of Bacteroides-Prevotella, and upregulate the related d-glucarate and d-galactarate degradation pathways, together demonstrating the benefits of IMD as a prebiotic able to promote energy homeostasis. Our results also showed that the blood lipid profile and glucose level in the low-grade inflammation mouse model were modulated by IMD. Moreover, IMD supplementation effectively prevented the metabolic disorder and modulated immune responses in inflamed white adipose tissues by inhibiting the macrophage infiltration and restoring the adiponectin, PPAR-γ, and IRS-1 expression. These findings provide strong evidence for IMD to be a potential prebiotic that acts to sustain a healthy gut microbiota composition and barrier function. By protecting against an unhealthy diet-impaired metabolic balance and maintaining immune homeostasis, IMD may affect the development of metabolic disorders.

The Impact of Gratitude on Connection With Nature: The Mediating Role of Positive Emotions of Self-Transcendence.

Gratitude, as one of the positive emotions associated with self-transcendence, is also a moral and pro-social emotion with a pro-social nature. Therefore, in order to verify whether gratitude has the same effect as pro-social in promoting connection with nature, this study (N = 890) divided subjects into three groups (gratitude, recreation, and control) and used a questionnaire to explore the effects of gratitude on positive emotions of self-transcendence, connection with nature, and pro-environmental tendencies (willingness to participate in environmental protection, willingness to sacrifice for the environment). The results found that (1) positive emotions of self-transcendence partially mediated the effect of the gratitude condition on connection to nature, and (2) positive emotions of self-transcendence and connection to nature were fully and continuously mediated, suggesting that the gratitude condition had an indirect effect on both (a) willingness to participate in environmental protection and (b) willingness to sacrifice for the environment. These findings imply that we may need to pay more attention to the connection between gratitude and nature to promote a harmonious relationship between humans and nature.

Hepatoprotective effects of different mulberry leaf extracts against acute liver injury in rats by alleviating oxidative stress and inflammatory response.

This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of various mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf extracts (MLEs), including mulberry ethanol extract (MEE), aqueous extract (MAE) and a combination extract (MCE) against D-galactosamine (D-GalN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute liver injury in rats. It aimed to explore the possible molecular mechanism of the liver-protecting function of mulberry leaves and provide a reference for choosing the appropriate extraction method. The results showed that the three extracts contained different amounts of phenolic compounds, 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) and polysaccharides. MLEs markedly improved the pathological status of rat liver tissue, decreased the levels of AST, ALT, TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and MDA, while increased the levels of GSH, SOD and CAT in the D-GalN/LPS-treated rats at the same time. MEE, with the highest amount of total phenolics, exhibited the highest antioxidant activity corresponding to the protein expression level of Nrf2 and HO-1. MCE significantly suppressed the expression of apoptosis-related dot-like protein (ASC) and Caspase-1 and inhibited the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and ERK1/2, thereby showing high anti-inflammatory activity. These results indicated that the active components from mulberry leaves protected rats against acute liver injury, attributed to a reduction in both oxidative stress and inflammatory response. The protective effect may be implicated in regulating the Nrf2, NLRP3 and MAPK signaling pathways.

Responses of submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum to the gradient concentrations of microcystin-LR (MC-LR).

The responses of Ceratophyllum demersum to gradient concentrations (0, 0.8, 3.2, and 10 µg/L) of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) were comprehensively investigated by laboratory simulation experiments. The high reduction and accumulation efficiency of MC-LR by C. demersum were verified in this study. Results showed that the reduction ratio of MC-LR in the cultivation medium was up to 99% after 14 days of exposure, and the accumulation of MC-LR in C. demersum was highest at an exposure concentration of 10 µg/L, the value of which was 0.9 ng/g fresh weight (FW). Meanwhile, a series of negative effects on C. demersum was detectable, accompanied by a significant biomass reduction of the plant and changes in microbial community composition. In particular, this study indicated that the amount of Flavobacteria was elevated under the stress of MC-LR, provoking great threats to aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, oxidative damage was evidenced by the changes in total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione. The results also demonstrated significant increases in sugar (0.025 mg/g FW), protein (0.3 mg/g FW), and carotenoids (0.6 mg/g FW) in C. demersum stressed by 10 µg/L of MC-LR, compared with the control without microcystins, which were among the defense strategies for dealing with adverse conditions. These results verified the good potential of submerged macrophytes as an eco-friendly strategy for controlling cyanobacterial blooms. However, the negative effects of MC-LR on the macrophytes themselves were also demonstrated, which would be considered in future practice and management.

Information infrastructure and greenhouse gas emission performance in urban China: A difference-in-differences analysis.

Owing to its network spillover effect, information infrastructure performs outstandingly in promoting economic growth and technological innovation, and has received widespread attention. However, the ecological performance of information infrastructure, especially its impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission performance, has been less studied. To investigate this issue, using panel data for 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2018, we treat the Broadband China policy as a quasi-natural experiment in information infrastructure, and conduct a difference-in-differences (DID) analysis. The results show that: (1) Information infrastructure significantly improves urban GHG emission performance. This conclusion holds even after controlling for pilot selection endogeneity, sampling bias, and other policy interference. (2) Technological innovation, industrial structure upgrading, factor allocation enhancement, and tertiary agglomeration are effective channels for information infrastructure to improve GHG emission performance. (3) The treatment effect varies with city size, digital economy level, and economic status. Specifically, information infrastructure exhibits significant emission reduction performance in cities with large size, advanced digital economy, and leading economic status, while the emission reduction effect drops in other cities. This study provides insights into the transition to a carbon-neutral manner for infrastructure in China and other developing countries.

Insulin quantification towards early diagnosis of prediabetes/diabetes.

Insulin is an essential and versatile hormone taking part in the control of blood glucose levels and protein anabolism. Abnormal levels of circulating insulin in the body can be problematic. Insulin resistance means the body fails to react with high or normal level insulin, causing our body to produce more insulin through feedback, and is the main cause of many chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. Pre-diabetes or obesity often occurs in people with high insulin resistance. Thus, quantification of insulin levels is essential for the early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus and obesity. Immunoassays and chromatography assays are currently reliable methods for insulin detection, although they are time-consuming, expensive, and require complex procedures, centralized instruments as well as trained personnel. Modern biosensing technologies have demonstrated success and huge potential for the quantification of insulin. This review provides a summary of the biological significance of insulin with a focus on the role of insulin resistance and its consequences in pre-diabetes/diabetes and obesity. The current practice for insulin detection followed by recent advances in developing biosensors for detection of insulin are reviewed, compared, and discussed from the aspects of detection principle, analytical performances, and challenges. Finally, future perspectives in the quantification of insulin in clinical settings are proposed.

Construction of Prediction Model of Deep Vein Thrombosis Risk after Total Knee Arthroplasty Based on XGBoost Algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: Based on the XGBoost algorithm, the prediction model of the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was established, and the prediction performance was compared. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with TKA from January 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively selected as the study subjects and randomly divided into a training set (n = 60) and a test set (n = 40). The training set data was used to construct the XGBoost algorithm prediction model and to screen the predictive factors of postoperative DVT in TKA patients. The prediction effect of the model was evaluated by using the test set data. An independent sample T-test was used for comparison between groups, and the χ 2 test was used for comparison between counting data groups. RESULTS: The top five items were combined with multiple injuries (35 points), time from injury to operation (28 points), age (24 points), combined with coronary heart disease (21 points), and D-dimer 1 day after operation (16 points). In the training set, the area under the curve of the XGBoost algorithm model was 0.832 (95% CI: 0.748-0.916). CONCLUSION: The model based on the XGBoost algorithm can predict the incidence of DVT in patients after TKA with good performance.

How green technology innovation affects carbon emission efficiency: evidence from developed countries proposing carbon neutrality targets.

With the introduction of national carbon neutrality targets, carbon emission reduction actions in developed countries have become a hot topic as part of the international community's drive to take action to mitigate climate change. Carbon emission efficiency is an important indicator that can be used to measure progress toward carbon emission reduction targets. The relationship between green technology innovation and carbon emission efficiency has not been adequately studied, and the transmission mechanism is not yet clear. Based on the above research gaps, taking 32 developed countries that have proposed carbon neutral targets as research samples, this paper used spatial econometric models to explore the impact of green technology innovation on carbon emission efficiency and adopted spatial mediation model and spatial moderation model to analyze the transmission effects of economic development, urbanization, and financial development on environment-related green technology and carbon emission efficiency. This paper aimed to provide a policy basis for developed countries to mitigate carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality goals as soon as possible. The following results were obtained: (1) Luxembourg, Norway, and Switzerland were found to be efficient in terms of carbon emissions, while most developed countries were in an inefficient state. (2) Environment-related green technology innovation significantly improved carbon emission efficiency. (3) Economic development and urbanization had a mediating role on green technology innovation and carbon emission efficiency. In other words, green technology innovation could have an indirect impact on carbon emission efficiency by influencing economic development and urbanization. (4) Financial development could positively moderate the sensitivity of carbon emission efficiency to green technology innovation. Improving the level of green technology innovation is one way to improve carbon emission efficiency, and the mediating effect of economic development and urbanization can be used as a focus point to improve carbon emission efficiency. The pressure of carbon emission reduction can be moderated by finance development. The results of this study provide theoretical support that will assist developed countries in achieving their carbon neutrality targets.

Strain, Soil-Type, Irrigation Regimen, and Poultry Litter Influence Salmonella Survival and Die-off in Agricultural Soils.

The use of untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) have been identified as one potential mechanism for the dissemination and persistence of Salmonella in the produce growing environment. Data on factors influencing Salmonella concentration in amended soils are therefore needed. The objectives here were to (i) compare die-off between 12 Salmonella strains following inoculation in amended soil and (ii) characterize any significant effects associated with soil-type, irrigation regimen, and amendment on Salmonella survival and die-off. Three greenhouse trials were performed using a randomized complete block design. Each strain (~4 log CFU/g) was homogenized with amended or non-amended sandy-loam or clay-loam soil. Salmonella levels were enumerated in 25 g samples 0, 0.167 (4 h), 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, 56, 84, 112, 168, 210, 252, and 336 days post-inoculation (dpi), or until two consecutive samples were enrichment negative. Regression analysis was performed between strain, soil-type, irrigation, and (i) time to last detect (survival) and (ii) concentration at each time-point (die-off rate). Similar effects of strain, irrigation, soil-type, and amendment were identified using the survival and die-off models. Strain explained up to 18% of the variance in survival, and up to 19% of variance in die-off rate. On average Salmonella survived for 129 days in amended soils, however, Salmonella survived, on average, 30 days longer in clay-loam soils than sandy-loam soils [95% Confidence interval (CI) = 45, 15], with survival time ranging from 84 to 210 days for the individual strains during daily irrigation. When strain-specific associations were investigated using regression trees, S. Javiana and S. Saintpaul were found to survive longer in sandy-loam soil, whereas most of the other strains survived longer in clay-loam soil. Salmonella also survived, on average, 128 days longer when irrigated weekly, compared to daily (CI = 101, 154), and 89 days longer in amended soils, than non-amended soils (CI = 61, 116). Overall, this study provides insight into Salmonella survival following contamination of field soils by BSAAO. Specifically, Salmonella survival may be strain-specific as affected by both soil characteristics and management practices. These data can assist in risk assessment and strain selection for use in challenge and validation studies.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect and Cellular Transport Mechanism of Phenolics from Common Bean (Phaseolus vulga L.) Milk and Yogurts in Caco-2 Mono- and Caco-2/EA.hy926 Co-Culture Models.

The bioavailability and anti-inflammatory activity of the phenolic compounds derived from gastrointestinal digestates of navy bean and light red kidney bean milks and yogurts were investigated in both Caco-2 mono- and Caco-2/EA.hy926 co-culture cell models. Instead of being transported directly, the ferulic acid ester derivatives in common bean milks and yogurts were found to be metabolized into ferulic acid and then be transported through the Caco-2 cell monolayer with an average basolateral ferulic acid concentration of 56 ± 3 ng/mL after 2 h. Strong anti-inflammatory effects were observed in the basolateral EA.hy926 cells of the co-culture model, and modulations of oxLDL-induced inflammatory mediators by the transported phenolics were verified to be through the p38 MAPK pathway. The present results suggest that the common bean-derived phenolics can be metabolized and absorbed by the intestinal epithelial cells and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects against oxidative stress injury in vascular endothelial cells, hence contributing to the amelioration of vascular diseases.

Prevention of dextran sulfate sodium-induced mouse colitis by the fungal protein Ling Zhi-8 via promoting the barrier function of intestinal epithelial cells.

The fungal immunomodulatory protein Ling Zhi-8 (LZ-8) isolated from Ganoderma lucidum (GL) regulates immune cells and inhibits tumor growth; however, the role of LZ-8 in protecting intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) is unknown. In this study, we aim to investigate the functional effect of LZ-8 on IECs. LZ-8 effectively rescued the pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced loss of tight junctions (TJs) by enhancing transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), reducing permeability, and maintaining the distribution of TJ proteins, in Caco-2 cells. Mechanistically, LZ-8 blocked the upregulation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and NF-kB activation by TLR2-mediated suppression of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-1 expression. Furthermore, LZ-8 pre-treatment reduced the pathological scores of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. These results indicated that LZ-8 protected the barrier function of IECs against inflammation. Thus, LZ-8 may potentially be a novel candidate for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Comparative efficacy and safety of radiotherapy/cetuximab versus radiotherapy/chemotherapy for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients: a systematic review of published, primarily non-randomized, data.

BACKGROUND: Cetuximab (CTX) has been approved to be administered concurrently with radiotherapy (RT) to treat locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of concurrent CTX with RT (ExRT). METHOD: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE databases were systematically searched to find relevant articles. The combined hazard ratio (HR), risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval were calculated to assess the efficacy and safety of ExRT in contrast to concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy with RT (ChRT). RESULTS: In total, 32 articles with 4556 patients were included. The pooled HRs indicated that ExRT achieved an unfavorable overall survival (HR: 1.86, p < 0.0001), disease-specific survival (HR: 2.58, p = 0.002), locoregional control (HR: 1.94, p < 0.00001), and progression-free survival (HR: 2.04, p = 0.003) compared with ChRT for locally advanced HNSCC patients. In human papillomavirus-positive patient subgroups, ExRT showed inferior disease-specific survival (HR: 2.55, p = 0.009) and locoregional control (HR: 2.27, p < 0.0001) in contrast to ChRT. Additionally, ExRT increased the occurrence of mucositis (RR: 1.17, p < 0.005), skin toxicity (RR: 6.26, p < 0.00001), and infection (RR: 2.27, p = 0.04) compared with non-CTX groups (ChRT and RT), and was associated with lower incidence of anemia (RR: 0.35, p = 0.009), leukocytopenia (RR: 0.17, p < 0.0001), neutropenia (RR: 0.06, p < 0.0001), nausea/vomiting (RR: 0.23, p < 0.0001), and renal toxicity (RR: 0.14, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: ChRT should remain the standard treatment for locally advanced HNSCC patients. ExRT was recognized as an effective alternative treatment for locally advanced HNSCC patients who experienced unbearable toxicities caused by non-CTX treatments.