A novel flexible nerve guidance conduit promotes nerve regeneration while providing excellent mechanical properties.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202507000-00029/figure1/v/2024-09-09T124005Z/r/image-tiff Autografting is the gold standard for surgical repair of nerve defects > 5 mm in length; however, autografting is associated with potential complications at the nerve donor site. As an alternative, nerve guidance conduits may be used. The ideal conduit should be flexible, resistant to kinks and lumen collapse, and provide physical cues to guide nerve regeneration. We designed a novel flexible conduit using electrospinning technology to create fibers on the innermost surface of the nerve guidance conduit and employed melt spinning to align them. Subsequently, we prepared disordered electrospun fibers outside the aligned fibers and helical melt-spun fibers on the outer wall of the electrospun fiber lumen. The presence of aligned fibers on the inner surface can promote the extension of nerve cells along the fibers. The helical melt-spun fibers on the outer surface can enhance resistance to kinking and compression and provide stability. Our novel conduit promoted nerve regeneration and functional recovery in a rat sciatic nerve defect model, suggesting that it has potential for clinical use in human nerve injuries.

Trends and multi-model prediction of hepatitis B incidence in Xiamen.

Background: This study aims to analyze the trend of Hepatitis B incidence in Xiamen City from 2004 to 2022, and to select the best-performing model for predicting the number of Hepatitis B cases from 2023 to 2027. Methods: Data were obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP). The Joinpoint Regression Model analyzed temporal trends, while the Age-Period-Cohort (APC) model assessed the effects of age, period, and cohort on hepatitis B incidence rates. We also compared the predictive performance of the Neural Network Autoregressive (NNAR) Model, Bayesian Structural Time Series (BSTS) Model, Prophet, Exponential Smoothing (ETS) Model, Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) Model, and Hybrid Model, selecting the model with the highest performance to forecast the number of hepatitis B cases for the next five years. Results: Hepatitis B incidence rates in Xiamen from 2004 to 2022 showed an overall declining trend, with rates higher in men than in women. Higher incidence rates were observed in adults, particularly in the 30-39 age group. Moreover, the period and cohort effects on incidence showed a declining trend. Furthermore, in the best-performing NNAR(10, 1, 6)[12] model, the number of new cases is predicted to be 4271 in 2023, increasing to 5314 by 2027. Conclusions: Hepatitis B remains a significant issue in Xiamen, necessitating further optimization of hepatitis B prevention and control measures. Moreover, targeted interventions are essential for adults with higher incidence rates.

Direct Enantioselective α-C-H Conjugate Addition of Propargylamines to α,ß-Unsaturated Ketones via Carbonyl Catalysis.

Direct asymmetric α-C-H conjugate addition of propargylamines to α,ß-unsaturated ketones remains a great challenge due to the low α-amino C-H acidity of propargylamines and the nucleophilic interference of the NH2 group. Utilizing a new type of pyridoxals featuring a benzene-pyridine biaryl skeleton and a bulky amide side chain as carbonyl catalyst, we have accomplished direct asymmetric α-C-H conjugate addition of NH2-unprotected propargylamines to α,ß-unsaturated ketones. The adducts undergo subsequent in situ intramolecular cyclization, delivering a wide range of chiral polysubstituted 1-pyrrolines in high yields (up to 92%) with excellent diastereo- and enatioelectivities (up to >20:1 dr and 99% ee). This work has demonstrated a straightforward approach to access pharmaceutically important chiral 1-pyrrolines, and it has also provided an impressive instance of direct asymmetric functionalization of inert C-H bonds enabled by biomimetic organocatalysts.

Campus landscape types and pro-social behavioral mediators in the psychological recovery of college students.

Introduction: Physical and mental health problems of college students are becoming more prominent, and contact with nature has a positive effect on physical and mental health. This paper investigates the psychological recovery effect of different types of campus green space landscape on college students. From the perspective of college students' perception of campus landscape types, the green space, blue space, gray space and movement space of three universities in Anhui Province are investigated. Methods: Through choose campus landscape types and questionnaires, structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation modeling were constructed on the role of college students' perception of campus landscape types on psychological recovery. Results: It was found that the level of landscape type perception had a significant effect on the effect of psychological recovery and the generation of pro-social behavior, with no significant gender difference, while psychological recovery also had a positive effect on the generation of pro-social behavior. The study also found that campus landscape type not only directly affect students psychological recovery, but also promote psychological recovery through the mediating role of pro-social behavior. Discussion: The study reveals the effects of campus landscape type on college students' psychological recovery, and pro vides a basis for planning campus of different types.

Molecular-docking electrolytes enable high-voltage lithium battery chemistries.

Ideal rechargeable lithium battery electrolytes should promote the Faradaic reaction near the electrode surface while mitigating undesired side reactions. Yet, conventional electrolytes usually show sluggish kinetics and severe degradation due to their high desolvation energy and poor compatibility. Here we propose an electrolyte design strategy that overcomes the limitations associated with Li salt dissociation in non-coordinating solvents to enable fast, stable Li chemistries. The non-coordinating solvents are activated through favourable hydrogen bond interactions, specifically Fδ--Hδ+ or Hδ+-Oδ-, when blended with fluorinated benzenes or halide alkane compounds. These intermolecular interactions enable a dynamic Li+-solvent coordination process, thereby promoting the fast Li+ reaction kinetics and suppressing electrode side reactions. Utilizing this molecular-docking electrolyte design strategy, we have developed 25 electrolytes that demonstrate high Li plating/stripping Coulombic efficiencies and promising capacity retentions in both full cells and pouch cells. This work supports the use of the molecular-docking solvation mechanism for designing electrolytes with fast Li+ kinetics for high-voltage Li batteries.

Effects of different polysaccharide colloids on the structure and physicochemical properties of peanut protein and wheat gluten composite system under extrusion.

The structure and physicochemical properties of the complex system of peanut protein and gluten with different concentrations (0 %, 0.5 %, 1 %, and 2 %) of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or sodium alginate (SA) under high-moisture extrusion were studied. The water absorption index and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance showed that adding 0.5 % SA could significantly improve the water uniformity of peanut protein extrudates, while the increase in water absorption was not significant. The texture properties showed that adding CMC or SA increased the hardness, vertical shearing force, and parallel shearing force of the system. Furthermore, adding 0.5 % SA increased approximately 33 % and 75.2 % of the tensile distance and strength of the system, respectively. The secondary structure showed that CMC or SA decreased the proportion of α-helix, ß-turn, and random coil, while increased ß-sheet proportion. The results of hydrophobicity, unextractable protein, and endogenous fluorescence revealed that CMC and SA reduced the surface hydrophobicity of the system and caused fluorescence quenching in the system. Additionally, it was found that CMC generally increased the free sulfhydryl group content, while SA exhibited the opposite effect.

Versatile Design of NO-Generating Proteolipid Nanovesicles for Alleviating Vascular Injury.

Vascular injury is central to the pathogenesis and progression of cardiovascular diseases, however, fostering alternative strategies to alleviate vascular injury remains a persisting challenge. Given the central role of cell-derived nitric oxide (NO) in modulating the endogenous repair of vascular injury, NO-generating proteolipid nanovesicles (PLV-NO) are designed that recapitulate the cell-mimicking functions for vascular repair and replacement. Specifically, the proteolipid nanovesicles (PLV) are versatilely fabricated using membrane proteins derived from different types of cells, followed by the incorporation of NO-generating nanozymes capable of catalyzing endogenous donors to produce NO. Taking two vascular injury models, two types of PLV-NO are tailored to meet the individual requirements of targeted diseases using platelet membrane proteins and endothelial membrane proteins, respectively. The platelet-based PLV-NO (pPLV-NO) demonstrates its efficacy in targeted repair of a vascular endothelium injury model through systemic delivery. On the other hand, the endothelial cell (EC)-based PLV-NO (ePLV-NO) exhibits suppression of thrombosis when modified onto a locally transplanted small-diameter vascular graft (SDVG). The versatile design of PLV-NO may enable a promising therapeutic option for various vascular injury-evoked cardiovascular diseases.

Gas6/AXL Alleviates Hepatic Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting Ferroptosis via the PI3K/AKT Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major cause of complications in clinical liver surgery. AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) is a member of the TAM receptor tyrosine kinase family (TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK). Our previous study has shown that AXL expression was markedly upregulated in liver transplantation patients. However, the underlying mechanism of AXL in hepatic I/R injury remains unclear. METHODS: A mouse liver warm I/R model and a primary hepatocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation model were established to investigate the role of AXL activation and ferroptosis in hepatic I/R injury by pretreating with recombinant mouse growth arrest-specific protein 6 (AXL activator) or R428 (AXL inhibitor). Moreover, we used LY294002 (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase [PI3K] inhibitor) to evaluate the relationship between the PI3K/AKT (the Ser and Thr kinase AKT) pathway and ferroptosis in hepatic I/R injury. RESULTS: Hepatic I/R injury decreased phosphorylation AXL expression and enhanced ferroptosis in liver transplantation patients and hepatic I/R-subjected mice. AXL activation attenuated lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis in hepatic I/R injury in vivo and in vitro. Inhibition of AXL activation exacerbated liver pathological damage and liver dysfunction, as well as iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation in hepatic I/R injury. Mechanistically, activated growth arrest-specific protein 6/AXL and its downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibited ferroptosis during hepatic I/R injury. CONCLUSIONS: AXL activation protects against hepatic I/R injury by preventing ferroptosis through the PI3K/AKT pathway. This study is the first investigation on the AXL receptor and ferroptosis, and activating AXL to mitigate ferroptosis may be an innovative therapeutic strategy to combat hepatic I/R injury.

Temporal shifts in 24 notifiable infectious diseases in China before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, along with the implementation of public health and social measures (PHSMs), have markedly reshaped infectious disease transmission dynamics. We analysed the impact of PHSMs on 24 notifiable infectious diseases (NIDs) in the Chinese mainland, using time series models to forecast transmission trends without PHSMs or pandemic. Our findings revealed distinct seasonal patterns in NID incidence, with respiratory diseases showing the greatest response to PHSMs, while bloodborne and sexually transmitted diseases responded more moderately. 8 NIDs were identified as susceptible to PHSMs, including hand, foot, and mouth disease, dengue fever, rubella, scarlet fever, pertussis, mumps, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis. The termination of PHSMs did not cause NIDs resurgence immediately, except for pertussis, which experienced its highest peak in December 2023 since January 2008. Our findings highlight the varied impact of PHSMs on different NIDs and the importance of sustainable, long-term strategies, like vaccine development.

A Sequentially Activated Probe for Imaging of Superoxide Anion and Peroxynitrite in PC12 Cells under Oxidative Stress.

Superoxide anion (O2·-) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-), two important oxidants under oxidative stress, coexist in complex cell and organism systems, playing crucial roles in various physiological and pathological processes, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the absence of robust molecular tools capable of simultaneously visualizing O2·- and ONOO- in biosystems, the relationship between these two species remains understudied. Herein, we present sequentially activated fluorescent probe, DHX-SP, which exhibits exceptional selectivity and sensitivity toward O2·- and ONOO-. This probe enables precise imaging of these species in living PC12 cells under oxidative stress conditions using distinct fluorescence signal combinations. Furthermore, the probe DHX-SP has the ability to visualize changes in O2·- and ONOO- levels during ferroptosis of PC12 cells and in the Parkinson's disease model. These findings establish a connection between the crosstalk of the phosphorus group of O2·- and ONOO- in PC12 cells under oxidative stress.

Study on the Freeze-Thaw Resistance of Concrete Pavements in Seasonally Frozen Regions.

In seasonally frozen regions, concrete pavement is exposed to cycles of freeze-thaw and erosion from de-icing salt, which can lead to unfavorable service conditions and vulnerability to damage. This paper examines the compressive strength, flexural-tensile strength, abrasion resistance, permeability, and spacing factor of concrete, taking into account the impact of various curing conditions, de-icing salt solutions, and mass fractions on the concrete's freeze-thaw resistance. Two test methods, the single-face method and the fast-freezing method, were used to comparatively analyze the freeze-thaw resistance of concrete. The analysis was based on the surface scaling, water absorption rate, mass loss rate, relative dynamic elastic modulus, and relative durability index. The results indicate that the presence of salt solution significantly worsened the degree of concrete damage caused by freeze-thaw cycles. The use of freeze-thaw media, specifically sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), and potassium acetate (KAc) at mass fractions of 5%, 4.74%, and 5%, respectively, had the greatest impact on the surface scaling of concrete. However, their effect on the water absorption rate was inconsistent. When the freeze-thaw medium was water, the concrete's relative dynamic elastic modulus and relative durability index were 9.6% and 75.3% higher, respectively, for concrete cured in 20 °C-95% RH conditions compared to those cured in 0 °C-50% RH conditions. We propose a comprehensive relative durability index (DFw) by combining the results of two methods of freeze-thaw tests. The DFw of concrete cured in 0 °C-50% RH conditions was 83.8% lower than that of concrete cured in 20 °C-95% RH conditions when exposed to a freeze-thaw medium of 5% mass fraction NaCl solution. To evaluate the salt freeze-thaw resistance of concrete pavement, it is recommended to use surface scaling and DFw together.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes as prognostic and immunogenic biomarkers in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The metastasis and aggressive nature of prostate cancer (PCa) has become a major malignancy related threat that concerns men's health. The efficacy of immune monotherapy against PCa is questionable due to its lymphocyte-suppressive nature. METHOD: Endoplasmic reticulum stress- (ERS-) and PCa-prognosis-related genes were obtained from the Molecular Signatures Database and the Cancer Genome Atlas database. The expression, prognosis and immune infiltration values of key genes were explored by "survival R package", "rms", "xCELL algorithm", and univariate-multivariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses. The "consensus cluster plus R package" was used for cluster analysis. RESULT: As ERS-related genes, ERLIN2 and CDK5RAP3 showed significant expressional, prognostic and clinic-pathologic values. They were defined as the key genes significantly correlated with immune infiltration and response. The nomogram was constructed with T-stage and primary treatment outcome, and the risk-prognostic model was constructed in the following way: Riskscore = (- 0.1918) * ERLIN2 + (0.5254) * CDK5RAP3. Subsequently, prognostic subgroups based on key genes classified the high-risk group as a pro-cancer subgroup that had lower mutation rates of critical genes (SPOP and MUC16), multiple low-expression immune-relevant molecules, and differences in macrophages (M1 and M2) expressions. Finally, ERLIN2 as an anti-oncogene and CDK5RAP3 as a pro-oncogene were further confirmed by cell phenotype assays and immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSION: We identified ERLIN2 and CDK5RAP3 as ERS-related genes with important prognostic and immunologic values, and classified patients between high- and low-risk subgroups, which provided new prognostic markers, immunotherapeutic targets, and basis for prognostic assessments.

Neurotoxicity of tetramethylammonium ion on larval and juvenile zebrafish: Effects on neurobehaviors and multiple biomarkers.

Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) is an important compound that utilized and released by the rapidly expanding semiconductor industry, which could hardly be removed by the conventional wastewater treatment techniques. As a cholinergic agonist, the tetramethylammonium ion (TMA+) has been reported to induce toxicity to muscular and respiratory systems of mammals and human, however the toxicity on aquatic biota remains poorly known. We investigated the neurotoxic effects of TMA+ exposure on zebrafish, based on neurobehavior tests and a series of biomarkers. Significant inhibitions on the swimming distance of zebrafish larvae were observed when the exposure level exceeded 50 mg/L, and significant alterations on swimming path angles (straight and deflective movements) occurred even at 10 mg/L. The tested neurobehavioral endpoints of zebrafish larvae were significantly positively correlated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), significantly negatively related with the activities of antioxidant enzymes, but not significantly correlated with the level of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Such relationship indicates that the observed neurotoxic effects on swimming behavior of zebrafish larvae is mainly driven by oxidative stress, rather than the alterations of neurotransmitter. At the highest exposure concentration (200 mg/L), TMA+ evoked more severe toxicity on zebrafish juveniles, showing significantly stronger elevation on the MDA activity, and greater inhibitions on the activities of antioxidant enzymes and AChE, suggesting juveniles were more susceptible to TMA+ exposure than larval zebrafish.

Efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment to patients with stable COPD: a multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease and the third leading cause of death worldwide. Previous evidence has shown that acupuncture may be an effective complementary alternative therapy for stable COPD. However, large-sample, rigorously designed long-term follow-up studies still need to be completed. Notably, the relationship between the frequency of acupuncture and clinical efficacy in studies on acupuncture for stable COPD still needs further validation. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for stable COPD and further investigate the dose-effect relationship of acupuncture. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial that uses central randomization to randomly allocate 550 participants in a 1:1:1:1:1 ratio to once a week acupuncture group, twice a week acupuncture group, three times a week acupuncture group, sham acupuncture group and waiting-list control group. The sham acupuncture group will receive placebo acupuncture treatments three times per week, and the waiting-list control group will not receive any form of acupuncture intervention. The study consists of a 2-week baseline, 12-week of treatment, and 52-week of follow-up. Patients with COPD between 40 to 80 years old who have received stable Western medication within the previous 3 months and have had at least 1 moderate or severe acute exacerbation within the past 1 year will be included in the study. Basic treatment will remain the same for all participants. The primary outcome is the proportion of responders at week 12. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of responders at week 64, change in the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) Scale, change in the Modified-Medical Research Council (mMRC) Scale, change in the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) Scale, change in the Lung Function Screening Indicators (LFSI), change in the 6-min walk distance (6-MWD), change in Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) Scale, the number of moderate and severe acute exacerbations and adverse event rate during the follow-up period. DISCUSSION: This study will provide robust evidence on whether acupuncture is safe and effective for treating stable COPD. Meanwhile, comparing the differences in efficacy between different acupuncture frequencies will further promote the optimization of acupuncture for stable COPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200058757), on April 16, 2022.

Dust-phase phthalates in university dormitories in Beijing, China: pollution characteristics, potential sources, and non-dietary oral exposure.

This study aimed to determine dust-phase phthalate levels in 112 dormitories of 14 universities during autumn and winter, investigate their potential sources, and estimate phthalate exposure via dust ingestion. Twelve phthalates were detected, among which di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) were the most abundant, followed by di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP). The median concentrations and contributions of DCHP and DEHP were the highest. The contributions of di-n-octyl phthalate and di-nonyl phthalate were higher in winter than in autumn. Potential sources included iron furniture, chemical fiber textiles, clothes, and personal care products. Medium-density fiberboard furniture is a potential sink for phthalates. In two seasons, DEHP, DCHP, DiBP, and DnBP were the main phthalates ingested by college students . The median oral exposure of ten phthalates was higher in females than in males. College students have a high risk of exposure to DEHP in dormitories.

A Multiparametric MRI-based Radiomics Model for Stratifying Postoperative Recurrence in Luminal B Breast Cancer.

This study aims to develop an MRI-based radiomics model to assess the likelihood of recurrence in luminal B breast cancer. The study analyzed medical images and clinical data from 244 patients with luminal B breast cancer. Of 244 patients, 35 had experienced recurrence and 209 had not. The patients were randomly divided into the training set (51.5 ± 12.5 years old; n = 171) and the test set (51.7 ± 11.3 years old; n = 73) in a ratio of 7:3. The study employed univariate and multivariate Cox regression along with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression methods to select radiomics features and calculate a risk score. A combined model was constructed by integrating the risk score with the clinical and pathological characteristics. The study identified two radiomics features (GLSZM and GLRLM) from DCE-MRI that were used to calculate a risk score. The AUCs were 0.860 and 0.868 in the training set and 0.816 and 0.714 in the testing set for 3- and 5-year recurrence risk, respectively. The combined model incorporating the risk score, pN, and endocrine therapy showed improved predictive power, with AUCs of 0.857 and 0.912 in the training set and 0.943 and 0.945 in the testing set for 3- and 5-year recurrence risk, respectively. The calibration curve of the combined model showed good consistency between predicted and measured values. Our study developed an MRI-based radiomics model that integrates clinical and radiomics features to assess the likelihood of recurrence in luminal B breast cancer. The model shows promise for improving clinical risk stratification and treatment decision-making.

Magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomics was used to evaluate the level of prognosis-related immune cell infiltration in breast cancer tumor microenvironment.

PURPOSE: The tumor immune microenvironment is a valuable source of information for predicting prognosis in breast cancer (BRCA) patients. To identify immune cells associated with BRCA patient prognosis from the Cancer Genetic Atlas (TCGA), we established an MRI-based radiomics model for evaluating the degree of immune cell infiltration in breast cancer patients. METHODS: CIBERSORT was utilized to evaluate the degree of infiltration of 22 immune cell types in breast cancer patients from the TCGA database, and both univariate and multivariate Cox regressions were employed to determine the prognostic significance of immune cell infiltration levels in BRCA patients. We identified independent prognostic factors for BRCA patients. Additionally, we obtained imaging features from the Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) database for 73 patients who underwent preoperative MRI procedures, and used the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) to select the best imaging features for constructing an MRI-based radiomics model for evaluating immune cell infiltration levels in breast cancer patients. RESULTS: According to the results of Cox regression analysis, M2 macrophages were identified as an independent prognostic factor for BRCA patients (HR = 32.288, 95% CI: 3.100-357.478). A total of nine significant features were selected to calculate the radiomics-based score. We established an intratumoral model with AUCs (95% CI) of 0.662 (0.495-0.802) and 0.678 (0.438-0.901) in the training and testing cohorts, respectively. Additionally, a peritumoral model was created with AUCs (95% CI) of 0.826 (0.710-0.924) and 0.752 (0.525-0.957), and a combined model was established with AUCs (95% CI) of 0.843 (0.723-0.938) and 0.744 (0.491-0.965). The peritumoral model demonstrated the highest diagnostic efficacy, with an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.773, 0.727, and 0.818, respectively, in its testing cohort. CONCLUSION: The MRI-based radiomics model has the potential to evaluate the degree of immune cell infiltration in breast cancer patients, offering a non-invasive imaging biomarker for assessing the tumor microenvironment in this disease.