Aptamer-RIBOTAC Strategy Enabling Tumor-Specific Targeted Degradation of MicroRNA for Precise Cancer Therapy.

MicroRNA (miRNA) molecules play crucial roles in a variety of diseases, making miRNA targeting a burgeoning field in medicinal chemistry. Ribonuclease targeting chimeras (RIBOTACs) present a compelling approach for RNA degradation. However, small molecule-based RIBOTAC requires an expensive and time-consuming screening process, and is difficult to directly target miRNA due to its short length lacking secondary structure. Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based RIBOTAC is easy to design but with poor cell permeability. While both of them lack the specificity for tumor targeting. In this study, the first Aptamer-RIBOTAC (ARIBOTAC) chimera is designed based on ASO to achieve precise degradation of miRNA in a tumor cell-specific manner for precise cancer therapy. This chimera exhibits a remarkable ability to specifically identify and enter cancer cells, trigger localized activation of endogenous RNase L, and selectively cleave miRNAs that are complementary to ASO. The efficacy and universality of the ARIBOTAC strategy both in vitro and in vivo by degrading oncogenic miR-210-3p and miR-155-5p are validated. These findings underscore the potential of the ARIBOTAC strategy as a promising avenue for cancer therapy by precisely targeting cancer-associated miRNAs.

Bolus administration of remimazolam was superior to midazolam for deep sedation in elderly patients undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To date, there is no standardized practice for the use of pharmacological sedatives during flexible bronchoscopy, particularly for elderly patients. This exploratory study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of remimazolam at a single induced dose for deep sedation in elderly patients undergoing diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy (DFB), and compare with midazolam, a commonly used sedative. METHODS: A total of 100 elderly patients (age range 65-80 yr; American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status I-III) undergoing DFB were randomly allocated into 2 groups according to the sedatives used for induction: the remimazolam group and the midazolam group. Sedation induction was initiated by an intravenous bolus of remimazolam (0.135 mg/kg) or midazolam (0.045 mg/kg), respectively, both groups were combined with a high-dose of alfentanil (18 µg/kg), and supplemented with high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen supply at a flow rate of 45 L/min. If the target depth of sedation was not achieved, propofol would be titrated as a rescue. The primary outcome was the success rate of sedation at a single induced dose to achieve target depth (Ramsay sedation score [RSS] = 4) during induction, intraoperative changes in vital signs, postoperative follow-up situation and incidence of post-bronchoscopy adverse events were evaluated as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: The success rate of sedation in the remimazolam group was significantly higher than that in the midazolam group (65.2% vs 39.6%, P = .013), while the incidence of extra sleep within 6 hours after procedure was lower in the remimazolam group as compared to the midazolam group (10.9% vs 31.3%, P = .016). No statistically significant differences were observed between the 2 groups regarding hemodynamic fluctuations, incidence of hypoxemia, and cough response during the procedure, as well as postoperative recall, willingness to undergo reexamination, and other post-bronchoscopy adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Bolus administration of remimazolam offers advantages over midazolam for deep sedation in elderly patients undergoing DFB, in terms of a higher success rate of sedation and a lower incidence of extra sleep within 6 hours after procedure, though the safety profiles of both groups were favorable.

Evaluation of mandibular motion in adolescents with skeletal class II division 1 malocclusion during mandibular advancement using clear functional aligners: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of mandibular protrusive condylar trajectory in adolescents with skeletal Class II Division 1 malocclusion and the changes of condylar trajectory during mandibular advancement (MA) treatment using clear functional aligners. METHODS: This prospective study consisted of a cross-sectional study and a longitudinal study. In cross-sectional study, sixty-one adolescents were divided into two groups: Class I (n = 30) and Class II Division 1 (n = 31). The condylar trajectory was measured and compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. The longitudinal study was the MA treatment group using clear functional aligner and consisted of 16 participants from Class II Division 1group. The condylar trajectory was collected at three-time points: pre-treatment (T1), during MA treatment at approximately 3 months (T2, 105.6 days average), and at the end of MA treatment (T3, 237.6 days average). The changes at T1, T2, and T3, as well as the symmetry between the left and right condyles across all groups, were examined using the Wilcoxon paired test. RESULTS: A greater increase in the anteroposterior displacement and space displacement during protrusive movements was observed in the Class II Division 1 group compared with that in the Class I group, with a large difference being observed in the left and right condylar movements. The condylar anteroposterior displacement and space displacement decreased significantly at T2 and increased significantly at T3; however, no significant difference was observed between T1 and T3. A significant difference was observed between the condylar movement on the left and right sides at T1; however, no significant difference was observed at T2 and T3. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with Class II Division 1 malocclusion had higher protrusive capacity than those with Class I. Moreover, their left and right condylar motion was more asymmetric. The range of condyle motion decreased first and then increased during MA therapy, and the left and right condyle movement became more symmetrical, which may be the adaptive response of neuromuscular function to the changes in jaw position.

Three-dimensional spatial analysis of temporomandibular joint in adolescent Class II division 1 malocclusion patients: comparison of Twin-Block and clear functional aligner.

BACKGROUND: Our study aimed to use three-dimensional (3D) spatial morphological measurement methods to compare the influence of Twin-Block and clear functional aligners on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of adolescent Class II division 1 malocclusion mandibular retraction patients. We also aimed to explore the similarities and differences in the effects on the TMJ upon using Twin-Block and clear functional aligner. METHODS: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) data of 49 patients with Class II division 1 malocclusion (Twin-Block group: 24; clear functional aligner group: 25) were collected before and after functional orthodontic treatment, and a 3D model of the TMJ was reconstructed using MIMICS 21.0 software. Eighteen measurement parameters, including the anterior, superior, and posterior joint spaces, were measured and compared using the 3D model. RESULTS: After the two groups underwent functional appliance treatment, the height, volume, and surface area of the condyle, length of the mandibular ramus and mandibular length increased; The retro-displaced condyle moved to the middle position of the articular fossa, while the rest of the condylar position did not change significantly. Remodeling of the articular fossa after treatment was not evident. The superior joint space of the clear functional aligner group increased, but there was no significant change after Twin-Block appliances treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Both appliances promote condylar growth and sagittal and vertical development of the mandible in adolescent Class II division 1 malocclusion mandibular retraction patients. The length of the mandibular ramus showed a more significant increase following treatment with the Twin-Block appliances than with clear function aligners.

The Heimlich maneuver and chest compression relieve mask ventilation difficulties caused by asymptomatic laryngeal mass: A case report and review of literature.

RATIONALE: Some laryngeal masses are typically asymptomatic and easily ignored. However, they can be rare causes of unanticipated difficult airway, leading to critical situations such as "cannot ventilate" or "cannot ventilate and cannot intubate" during anesthesia induction. Inappropriate airway management in such scenarios can have catastrophic consequences for an anesthetized patient. Here we report a case of sudden, unanticipated difficult mask ventilation caused by an asymptomatic supraglottic mass during sedative induction, which was quickly and effectively relieved by the Heimlich maneuver and chest compression. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report a rare case of airway crisis occurred during sedative induction in a 63-year-old patient scheduled for a routine flexible bronchoscopy, and no evidence of respiratory difficulty or signs of obstruction was found in preoperative evaluation. DIAGNOSES: A detailed examination of laryngopharyngeal structure under bronchoscopy revealed a supraglottic soft-tissue mass with a size of 1.6 × 0.8 cm covering the membranous part of the glottic area, which was the true cause of difficult mask ventilation in this patient during sedative induction. INTERVENTIONS: As the unanticipated difficult mask ventilation occurred, 2-handed mask ventilation was initiated immediately for 9 attempts but failed. Fortunately, the airway crisis was successfully relieved with 2 Heimlich attempts and 3 chest compressions, and no need for a laryngeal mask airway. OUTCOMES: Once the airway crisis was relieved and the supraglottic mass was confirmed, the patient underwent a second sedative anesthesia and a successful laryngeal mask airway-assisted bronchoscopy, with no post-bronchoscopy adverse events. LESSONS: Asymptomatic supraglottic masses can cause valve-like upper airway obstruction and lead to unanticipated difficult mask ventilation. The Heimlich maneuver and chest compression may be effective in such critical situations and can serve as an emergency intervention.

Aptamer-Assisted Blockade of the Immune Suppressor Sialic Acid-Binding Immunoglobulin-Like Lectin-15 for Cancer Immunotherapy.

The percentage of low response and adaptive resistance to current antibody-based immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy requires the development of novel immunotherapy strategies. Here, we developed an aptamer-assisted immune checkpoint blockade (Ap-ICB) against sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin-15 (Siglec-15), a novel immune suppressor broadly upregulated on cancer cells and tumor infiltrating myeloid cells, which is mutually exclusive of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Using protein aptamer selection, we identified WXY3 aptamer with high affinity against Siglec-15 protein/Siglec-15 positive cells. We demonstrated that WXY3 aptamer rescued antigen-specific T cell responses in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, the WXY3 Ap-ICB against Siglec-15 amplified anti-tumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment and inhibited tumor growth/metastasis in syngeneic mouse model, which may result from enhanced macrophage and T cell functionality. In addition, by using aptamer-based spherical nucleic acids, we developed a synergetic ICB strategy of multivalent binding and steric hindrance, which further improves the in vivo anti-tumor effect. Taken together, our results support Ap-ICB targeted Siglec-15 as a potential strategy for normalization cancer immunotherapy.

Fire Performance of Cotton Fabrics Coated with 10-(2,5-Dihydroxyphenyl)-9,10-dihydro-9-xa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO-HQ) Zr-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks.

We investigated the performance of cotton fabrics coated with DOPO-HQ and Zr-based Metal-organic Frameworks when exposed to fire. The chemical structure of the cotton fabrics before and after the coating was characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, and the surface morphology of cotton and their combustion residues was probed via scanning electron microscopy. In our experiments, we used flammability tests and thermogravimetric methods to understand the burning behavior of the coated fibers, as well as their thermal stability. The cotton fabrics coated with DOPO-HQ and Zr MOFs exhibited shorter combustion times, had better thermal degradation properties, promoted the creation of heat-insulating layers, and exhibited improved smoke suppression behavior.

Microfluidic Enrichment of Intact SARS-CoV-2 Viral Particles by Stoichiometric Balanced DNA Computation.

Health diagnostic tools for community safety and environmental monitoring require selective and quantitatively accurate active viral load assessment. Herein, we report a microfluidic enrichment strategy to separate intact SARS-CoV-2 particles by AND logic gate with inputs of cholesterol oligonucleotides for the envelope and aptamers for the spike viral proteins. Considering the unequal quantity of endogenous spikes and lipid membranes on SARS-CoV-2, a dual-domain binding strategy, with two aptamers targeting different spike domains, was applied to balance the spike-envelope stoichiometric ratio. By balancing the stoichiometric with DNA computation and promoting microscale mass transfer of the herringbone chip, the developed strategy enabled high sensitivity detection of pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 with a limit of detection as low as 37 active virions/µL while distinguishing it from inactive counterparts, other nontarget viruses, and free spike protein. Moreover, the captured viral particles can be released through DNase I treatment with up to 90% efficiency, which is fully compatible with virus culture and sequencing. Overall, the developed strategy not only identified SARS-CoV-2-infected patients (n = 14) with 100% identification from healthy donors (n = 8) but also provided a fresh perspective on the regulation of stoichiometric ratio to achieve a more biologically relevant DNA computation.

Capturing nascent extracellular vesicles by metabolic glycan labeling-assisted microfluidics.

Extracellular vesicle (EV) secretion is a dynamic process crucial to cellular communication. Temporally sorting EVs, i.e., separating the newly-produced ones from the pre-existing, can allow not only deep understanding of EV dynamics, but also the discovery of potential EV biomarkers that are related to disease progression or responsible to drug intervention. However, the high similarity between the nascent and pre-existing EVs makes temporal separation extremely challenging. Here, by co-translational introduction of azido groups to act as a timestamp for click chemistry labelling, we develop a microfluidic-based strategy to enable selective isolation of nascent EVs stimulated by an external cue. In two mouse models of anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy, we demonstrate the strategy's feasibility and reveal the high positive correlation of nascent PD-L1+ EV level to tumor volume, suggesting an important role of nascent EVs in response to immunotherapy in cancer treatment.

Capped MIM metamaterial for ultra-broadband perfect absorbing and its application in radiative cooling.

Radiative cooling, which needs no external energy to lower the temperature, has drawn great interest in recent years. As a potential candidate, the design of a metamaterial cooler remains a big challenge due to the complexity of the nanostructure and the low average absorptivity. In this work, a capped metal-insulator-metal metamaterial is proposed to achieve ultra-broadband perfect absorbing. The numerical results show that its average absorptivity is 94% in the 8-13 µm wavelength band under normal incidence, bringing about the excellent selective thermal emissivity in the IR atmospheric transparent window. Together with polarization insensitivity and wide angle independency, the proposed metamaterial can realize a net cooling power as high as 120.7W/m 2 under the circumstance without sunshine. As a proof of concept, it is applied to coat the heat sink of a 3D integrated circuit chip. The result shows that the temperature of the observation point lowers 18.3 K after coating. This work offers the promising application of passive radiative cooling in thermal management for personnel, electronic devices, and many others.

Three-dimensional spatial analysis of the temporomandibular joint in adult patients with Class II division 2 malocclusion before and after orthodontic treatment: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate changes in the three-dimensional (3D) spatial morphology of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and condyle position in adult patients with Class II division 2 malocclusion using a 3D spatial measurement method and to investigate the similarities and differences in the effects of fixed appliance and clear aligner treatments on the TMJ. METHODS: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) data of 47 adult patients with Class II division 2 malocclusion (25, fixed appliance group; 22, clear aligner group) were collected before and after treatment. Mimics 21.0 was used to reconstruct the TMJ 3D model. Fourteen measurement items, such as the anterior, upper, and posterior joint spaces, were measured directly on the 3D model and compared. RESULTS: Post-orthodontic treatment, the shape and position of the condyle changed in adult patients with Class II division 2 malocclusion. Reduction in the anterior joint space and increase in the posterior joint space after orthodontic treatment were significant in both fixed appliance and clear aligner treatments; the condyle moved forward to the center of the fossa. The superior joint space and depth of the glenoid fossa increased after clear aligner treatment, but there was no significant change after fixed appliance treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The condylar shape and position in patients with Class II division 2 malocclusion changed significantly post-treatment, indicating that the condyle undergoes adaptive reconstruction during orthodontic treatment in these patients. These results provide a reference for diagnosis, design of treatment plan, and monitoring of treatment in orthodontic clinics.

Reliable Detection of Extracellular PD-L1 by DNA Computation-Mediated Microfluidics.

Extracellular vesicle PD-L1 (programmed death-1 ligand 1) is of greater value in tumor diagnosis, prognosis, and efficacy monitoring of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. However, soluble PD-L1 interferes with the accurate detection of extracellular vesicle (EV) PD-L1. Here, we developed a microfluidic differentiation method for the detection of extracellular PD-L1, without the interference of soluble, by DNA computation with lipid probes and PD-L1 aptamer as inputs (DECLA). For the developed DECLA method, a cholesterol-DNA probe was designed that efficiently embeds into the EV membrane, and an aptamer-based PD-L1 probe was used for PD-L1 recognition. Due to the stable secondary structure of the designed connector, only cobinding of cholesterol-DNA and PD-L1 affinity probe induced biotin-labeled connector activation, while soluble PD-L1 cannot hybridize. As a result, PD-L1 EVs can be efficiently captured by streptavidin-functioned herringbone chip and quantified by anti-CD63-induced fluorescence signal. The high specificity of dual-input DNA computation allied to the high sensitivity of microfluidic-based detection was suitable for distinguishing lung cancer patients from healthy donors, highlighting its potential translation to clinical diagnosis and therapy monitoring.

Characterization of a Novel Gja8 (Cx50) Mutation in a New Cataract Rat Model.

Purpose: To describe a novel spontaneous cataract inbred strain isolated from large-scale breeding SD rats, identify the responsible gene mutation, and understand how this mutation affects lens function. Methods: Exome sequencing of 12 cataract-associated genes was performed in the affected and healthy relatives. Sequences of rat wild-type or mutant gap junction protein alpha 8 gene (Gja8) were transfected into cells. The expression level of protein was assayed by Western blot analysis. Subcellular localization of connexin 50 (Cx50) was analyzed in confocal fluorescent images. Wound-healing, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, and attachment assay were performed to characterize the cell migration, proliferation and adhesion. Results: The abnormality was found to be inheritable in an autosomal semi-dominant pattern through different mating patterns. We found a G to T transversion at codon 655 in Gja8, leading to a substitution of valine by phenylalanine (p.V219F). Gja8V219F/+ heterozygotes expressed nuclear cataract while Gja8V219F/V219F homozygotes manifested microphthalmia in addition to cataract. Histology revealed fiber disorders and loss of organelle-free zone in the mutant lens. Cx50V219F altered its location in HeLa cells and inhibited the proliferation, migration and adhesion abilities of HLEB3 cells. The mutation also reduced the expression of focal adhesion kinase and its phosphorylation. Conclusions: The c.655G>T mutation (p.V219F) is a novel mutation in Gja8, inducing semi-dominant nuclear cataracts in a new spontaneous cataract rat model. The p.V219F mutation altered Cx50 distribution, inhibited lens epithelial cell proliferation, migration, and adhesion, and disrupted fiber cell differentiation. As a consequence, the nuclear cataract and small lens formed.

Novel insight into the underlying dysregulation mechanisms of immune cell-to-cell communication by analyzing multitissue single-cell atlas of two COVID-19 patients.

How does SARS-CoV-2 cause lung microenvironment disturbance and inflammatory storm is still obscure. We here performed the single-cell transcriptome sequencing from lung, blood, and bone marrow of two dead COVID-19 patients and detected the cellular communication among them. Our results demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 infection increase the frequency of cellular communication between alveolar type I cells (AT1) or alveolar type II cells (AT2) and myeloid cells triggering immune activation and inflammation microenvironment and then induce the disorder of fibroblasts, club, and ciliated cells, which may cause increased pulmonary fibrosis and mucus accumulation. Further study showed that the increase of T cells in the lungs may be mainly recruited by myeloid cells through ligands/receptors (e.g., ANXA1/FPR1, C5AR1/RPS19, and CCL5/CCR1). Interestingly, we also found that certain ligands/receptors (e.g., ANXA1/FPR1, CD74/COPA, CXCLs/CXCRs, ALOX5/ALOX5AP, CCL5/CCR1) are significantly activated and shared among lungs, blood and bone marrow of COVID-19 patients, implying that the dysregulation of ligands/receptors may lead to immune cell's activation, migration, and the inflammatory storm in different tissues of COVID-19 patients. Collectively, our study revealed a possible mechanism by which the disorder of cell communication caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection results in the lung inflammatory microenvironment and systemic immune responses across tissues in COVID-19 patients.

Characteristics of lymphocyte subset alterations in COVID-19 patients with different levels of disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disorder caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which had rapidly spread all over the world and caused public health emergencies in the past two years. Although the diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 have been well defined, the immune cell characteristics and the key lymphocytes subset alterations in COVID-19 patients have not been thoroughly investigated. METHODS: The levels of immune cells including T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells in 548 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and 30 types of lymphocyte subsets in 125 hospitalized COVID-19 patients admitted to Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital of China were measured using flow cytometry. The relationship between lymphocytes subsets with the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the characteristics of lymphocyte subsets in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were also analysed in COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: In this study, we found that patients with critical COVID-19 infection exhibited an overall decline in lymphocytes including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, total T cells, B cells, and NK cells compared to mild and severe patients. However, the number of lymphocyte subsets, such as CD21low CD38low B cells, effector T4 cells, and PD1+ depleted T8 cells, was moderately increased in critical COVID-19 patients compared to mild cases. Notably, except for effector memory T4 cells, plasma blasts and Tregs, the number of all lymphocyte subsets was markedly decreased in COVID-19 patients with IL-6 levels over 30-fold higher than those in healthy cases. Moreover, scRNA-seq data showed obvious differences in the distribution and numbers of lymphocyte subsets between COVID-19 patients and healthy persons, and subsets-specific marker genes of lymphocyte subsets including CD4, CD19, CCR7, and IL7R, were markedly decreased in COVID-19 patients compared with those in healthy cases. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive decrease in immune cell and lymphocyte subsets in critical COVID-19 patients, and peripheral lymphocyte subset alterations showed a clear association with clinical characteristics.

The safety and efficacy of alfentanil combined with midazolam in fiberoptic bronchoscopy sedation: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

Sedation is recommended by most guidelines to be offered to all patients undergoing diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy (DFB) without contraindications, and the most commonly reported regimen is midazolam in combination with a short-acting opioid (fentanyl or alfentanil) to provide both sedative and antitussive effects. However, the optimal dose or ideal regimen of the combination therapy with midazolam and opioids has not yet been found. So this randomized, double-blinded clinical trial was designed and registered (ChiCTR2100049052) to assess the safety and efficacy of midazolam combined with different doses of alfentanil in DFB sedation. Our study showed that relative high doses of alfentanil (10-25 µg/kg) combined with a fixed low dose of midazolam can markedly reduce hemodynamic fluctuations, cough reactions, patients' discomforts, and improve their satisfaction in a dose-dependent manner during DFB, with no significant increase in the desaturation risks.

Direct Synthesis of HKUST-1 onto Cotton Fabrics and Properties.

Metal-organic frameworks are crystalline nanostructures formed by a metal interspersed by an organic binder. These metal-organic materials are examples of nanomaterials applied to textile material in search of new functionalized textiles. Cotton is a cellulosic fiber of great commercial importance, and has good absorption capacity and breathability; however, due to these characteristics, it is susceptible to the development of microorganisms on its surface. This work aims to analyze how the direct synthesis of HKUST-1 in cotton fabric modifies the chemical and physical properties. The material obtained was characterized by scanning electron microscopy to obtain its morphology, by spectrophotometry CIE L*a*b* to verify the color change, by a biological test to verify its resistance to microorganisms and, finally, by a unidirectional traction test to verify the change in its mechanical resistance. Thereby, it was possible to observe the formation of MOFs with the morphology of nanorods, and also, with regard to HKUST-1 in the cotton fabric, when applied, an elimination percentage higher than 99% was observed for both bacteria, E. coli and S. aureus. The presence of MOF was detected even after washing, however, the loss of 75% in the mechanical resistance of the material makes its potential for textile finishing unworkable.

Barrier Effects of Cellulosic Fibers with Hybrid Coating Based on Zirconium Metal-Organic Framework.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have great potential for the development of fire barriers for flammable materials. Accordingly, zirconium-based metal-organic framework (Zr-MOF), branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI), and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) were deposited to produce composites assembled on cellulosic fibers to investigate their barrier effects. The structure, morphology, and thermal properties of the cellulosic fibers were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and TGA. Compared with the untreated cotton sample, the temperature of the maximum rate of weight loss (Tmax) of C-Zr-MOF/BPEI/VTES increased from 479 to 523.3 °C and the maximum weight loss rate (Rmax) at Tmax decreased from 37.6 to 17.2 wt%/min. At 800 °C, the pristine cotton was burned out without residues whereas the residual char content of the C-Zr-MOF/BPEI/VTES sample was 7.2355 wt%. From the vertical burning tests, the results suggested that the C-Zr-MOF/BPEI/VTES sample had better barrier effects by reducing the flame-spread speed and generating more protective char layers.

Swimming Suppresses Cognitive Decline of HFD-Induced Obese Mice through Reversing Hippocampal Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, and BDNF Level.

Obesity is an important public health problem nowadays. Long-term obesity can trigger a series of chronic diseases and impair the learning and memory function of the brain. Current studies show that scientific exercise can effectively improve learning and memory capacity, which also can provide benefits for obese people. However, the underlying mechanisms for the improvement of cognitive capacity under the status of obesity still need to be further explored. In the present study, the obesity-induced cognition-declined model was established using 4-week-old mice continuously fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks, and then the model mice were subjected to an 8-week swimming intervention and corresponding evaluation of relevant indicators, including cognitive capacity, inflammation, insulin signal pathway, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF), and apoptosis, for exploring potential regulatory mechanisms. Compared with the mice fed with regular diets, the obese mice revealed the impairment of cognitive capacity; in contrast, swimming intervention ameliorated the decline in cognitive capacity of obese mice by reducing inflammatory factors, inhibiting the JNK/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt signal pathway, and activating the PGC-1α/BDNF signal pathway, thereby suppressing the apoptosis of neurons. Therefore, swimming may be an important interventional strategy to compensate for obesity-induced cognitive impairment.