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Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), an inhibitor of ferroptosis, is implicated in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). The current study explored the role of Fer-1 in IDD via the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NF-κB signaling pathway. IDD-related gene expression microarray GSE124272 and high-throughput sequencing data set GSE175710 were obtained through the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes in IDD were identified, followed by implementation of protein-protein interaction network analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The main pathways in IDD were obtained through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional analyses, and target genes of Fer-1 were obtained through PubChem and PharmMapper websites. Finally, GPX4, FTH, and TLR4 expression was determined in a IDD rat model. Three key co-expression modules involved in IDD were obtained through Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis. Thirteen differentially expressed genes were found to be associated with IDD, and eight key genes (TLR4, BCL2A1, CXCL1, IL1R1, NAMPT, SOCS3, XCL1, and IRAK3) were found to affect IDD. These eight key genes had the diagnostic potential for IDD. The NF-κB signaling pathway was shown to play a predominant role in IDD development. Network pharmacologic analysis indicated a role of Fer-1 in suppressing ferroptosis and ameliorating IDD via the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, which was verified by an in vivo animal experiment. The study showed that Fer-1 down-regulates TLR4 to inactivate NF-κB signaling pathway, suppressing ferroptosis and ultimately alleviating IDD in rats.
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Degeneración del Disco Intervertebral , Disco Intervertebral , Ratas , Animales , FN-kappa B/metabolismo , Degeneración del Disco Intervertebral/genética , Degeneración del Disco Intervertebral/metabolismo , Receptor Toll-Like 4/genética , Receptor Toll-Like 4/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Until recently, chemical pesticides were one of the most effective means of controlling agricultural pests; therefore, the search for insecticide targets for agricultural pests has been an ongoing problem. Estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) are transcription factors that regulate cellular metabolism and energy homeostasis in animals. Silkworms are highly sensitive to chemical pesticides, making them ideal models for pesticide screening and evaluation. In this study, we detected ERR expression in key organs involved in pesticide metabolism in silkworms (Bombyx mori), including the fat body and midgut. Using ChIP-seq technology, many estrogen- related response elements were identified in the 2000-bp promoter region upstream of metabolism-related genes, almost all of which were potential ERR target genes. The ERR inhibitor, XCT-790, and the endocrine disruptor, bisphenol A, significantly inhibited expression of the ERR target genes, BmTreh-1, BmTret-1, BmPK, BmPFK, and BmHK, in the fat bodies of silkworms, resulting in pupation difficulties in silkworm larvae that ultimately lead to death. In addition, based on the clarification that the ERR can bind to XCT-790, as observed through biofilm interferometry, its three-dimensional spatial structure was predicted, and using molecular docking techniques, small-molecule compounds with a stronger affinity for the ERR were identified. In summary, utilizing the powerful metabolic regulatory function of ERR in Lepidoptera pests, the developed small molecule inhibitors of ERR can be used for future control of Lepidoptera pests.
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Bombyx , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Fenoles , Receptores de Estrógenos , Animales , Receptores de Estrógenos/metabolismo , Receptores de Estrógenos/genética , Bombyx/metabolismo , Bombyx/genética , Bombyx/efectos de los fármacos , Fenoles/farmacología , Compuestos de Bencidrilo/farmacología , Larva/metabolismo , Larva/efectos de los fármacos , Larva/genética , Insecticidas/farmacología , Proteínas de Insectos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Insectos/genética , Cuerpo Adiposo/metabolismo , Cuerpo Adiposo/efectos de los fármacos , Disruptores Endocrinos/farmacología , Disruptores Endocrinos/metabolismo , Nitrilos , TiazolesRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is associated with diabetes mellitus (DM), while the underlying mechanisms still remain elusive. Herein, the current study sought to explore the potential molecular mechanism of IDD in diabetic rats based on transcriptome sequencing data. METHODS: Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1DM) rats were used to obtain the nucleus pulposus tissues for transcriptome sequencing. Next, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in transcriptome sequencing data and GSE34000 microarray dataset were obtained and intersected to acquire the candidate genes. Moreover, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed to analyze the cellular functions and molecular signaling pathways primarily regulated by candidate DEGs. RESULTS: A total of 35 key genes involved in IDD of T1DM rats were mainly enriched in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytokine adhesion binding-related pathways. NLRP3 inflammasome activation promoted the pyroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). Besides, BMP7 could affect the IDD of T1DM rats by regulating the inflammatory responses. Additionally, NPCs were isolated from STZ-induced T1DM rats to illustrate the effects of BMP7 on IDD of T1DM rats using the ectopic expression method. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments validated that BMP7 alleviated IDD of T1DM rats by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis of NPCs. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our findings provided novel mechanistic insights for understanding of the role of BMP7 in IDD of T1DM, and further highlighted BMP7 as a potential therapeutic target for preventing IDD in T1DM.
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Proteína Morfogenética Ósea 7 , Diabetes Mellitus Experimental , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1 , Degeneración del Disco Intervertebral , Núcleo Pulposo , Animales , Ratas , Inflamasomas , Proteína con Dominio Pirina 3 de la Familia NLR , Piroptosis , Estreptozocina , Proteína Morfogenética Ósea 7/metabolismoRESUMEN
Background: Upper limb balance is one of the important physical fitness parameters for all populations, especially overhead athletes like swimmers. Upper extremity star excursion balance test (UESEBT) is a comprehensive dynamic balance assessment, this study aims to explore the reliability and validity of UESEBT among adolescent swimmers. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 70 adolescent swimmers. All participants were required to complete UESEBT, upper quarter Y-balance test (UQYBT), maximal isometric strength (MIS) tests in upper limb, closed kinetic chain upper extremity stability test (CKCUEST), trunk flexor endurance test (TFET) and lateral trunk endurance test (LTET). The intra- and inter-operator reliability and the correlation of UESEBT with other physical performances were conducted. Results: For reliability, the intra- and inter-operator reliability of all directions and composite score were high-to-excellent (ICC = 0.706-1.000) among all participants. For validity, the UESEBT has a moderate-to-strong correlation with UQYBT (r = 0.42-0.72, p < 0.001), and a weak-to moderate one with CKCUEST (r = 0.25-0.42, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the UESEBT performance showed weak-to-moderate correlations with MIS (r = 0.24-0.44, p < 0.05). UESEBT was correlated to LTET (r = 0.24-0.33, p < 0.05) whereas no relationship was found with TFET. Conclusions: UESEBT was a reliable and valid tool to screen upper extremity dynamic balance among adolescent swimmers. UESEBT provides more detailed information in eight directions to assess the upper limb sport performance. Further study should explore the prediction ability of UESEBT for injury.
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BACKGROUND: Somatosensory deficits and abnormal pain sensitivity are highly prevalent among stroke survivors, which negatively impacts their quality of life and recovery process. However, the factors for pressure pain threshold (PPT) and somatosensory abnormalities in post-stroke elderly remain unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of age, side and other functional conditions, such as spasticity and motor functions, on PPT and sensory abnormalities among elderly after stroke. METHODS: The cross-sectional study finally included 43 post-stroke elderly aged over 60 and assessed the PPT of 14 bilateral muscles widely located in the whole body by using a digital force gage. Meanwhile, spasticity, motor function, joint pain and activity of daily living (ADL) were evaluated by the Modified Ashworth scale, Fugl-Meyer, and Barthel Index, respectively. All participants were divided into higher-aged and lower-aged groups based on the median age of all of them. RESULTS: Higher age tended to be associated with higher sensitivity but not significant except for one upper limb muscle, and the affected side showed significantly higher PPTs than the unaffected side in three out of seven muscles (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the somatosensory abnormalities in the affected side, particularly hypoalgesia, were more frequent in higher-aged than lower-aged patients in most assessed muscles. Meanwhile, patients with spasticity showed more increment of PPTs in affected muscles around the knee joint than patients without spasticity (p < 0.05). Patients with better motor functions, less joint pain and higher ADL performed less bilateral differences of PPTs than other patients in some muscles (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The age and side differences of mechanical pain sensitivity were found among post-stroke elderly. Older patients show higher sensitivity in both sides compared with the younger ones, and the affected side of the elder shows more somatosensory abnormalities, particularly hypoalgesia, than that of the younger ones. Post-stroke elderly in good functional conditions, such as normal muscle tone, better physical function and daily activities, and less joint pain, seems to have more equal pain sensitivity between both sides than those in poor conditions.
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Rehabilitación de Accidente Cerebrovascular , Accidente Cerebrovascular , Anciano , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Umbral del Dolor , Calidad de Vida , Estudios Transversales , Accidente Cerebrovascular/complicaciones , Espasticidad Muscular/etiología , Espasticidad Muscular/complicaciones , Artralgia , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the oncologic and functional results of scapular reconstruction after partial or total scapulectomy for chondrosarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with chondrosarcoma who underwent partial or total scapulectomy between January 2005 and July 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: At a mean follow-up of 62.6 months (range, 13-123 months), four patients developed local recurrence, and three developed distant metastases, one of which developed both recurrence and metastasis. The overall survival rate of patients at 5 years was 84.6%, the disease-free survival rate was 69.3%, and the complication rate was 19% (4/21). The 1993 American Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS93) scores of patients in the partial scapulectomy group, total scapulectomy + humeral suspension group and prosthetic reconstruction group were 26.50 ± 1.38, 19.00 ± 2.58, and 21.38 ± 2.62, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the partial scapulectomy group and the total scapulectomy + humeral suspension or prosthetic reconstruction group ( P = 0.006 and 0.0336, respectively). The range of motion of the shoulder joint for forward flexion was 80.83° ± 11.14°, 51.25° ± 21.36°, and 52.50° ± 11.02°, respectively. The p-values for the comparison between the partial scapulectomy group and the total scapulectomy + humeral suspension or prosthetic reconstruction group were 0.0493 and 0.0174, respectively. And the range of motion of abduction was 75.00° ± 10.49°, 32.50° ± 11.90°, 41.88° ± 11.63°, respectively. Patients in the partial scapulectomy group had significantly better postoperative shoulder abduction function than the total scapulectomy + humeral suspension or prosthetic reconstruction group (P = 0.0035 and 0.0304, respectively). There was no significant difference in MSTS93 scores and flexion and abduction function of the shoulder joint in the upper extremity after total scapulectomy with humeral suspension or prosthetic reconstruction (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of chondrosarcoma of the scapula can achieve a satisfactory prognosis and shoulder function. Total scapulectomy followed by prosthetic reconstruction or humeral suspension are both feasible treatments.
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Neoplasias Óseas , Condrosarcoma , Articulación del Hombro , Neoplasias Óseas/diagnóstico por imagen , Neoplasias Óseas/patología , Neoplasias Óseas/cirugía , Condrosarcoma/diagnóstico por imagen , Condrosarcoma/patología , Condrosarcoma/cirugía , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Rango del Movimiento Articular , Estudios Retrospectivos , Escápula/patología , Escápula/cirugía , Articulación del Hombro/diagnóstico por imagen , Articulación del Hombro/patología , Articulación del Hombro/cirugíaRESUMEN
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a common and fatal clinical condition, is characterized by the destruction of epithelium and augmented permeability of the alveolar-capillary barrier. Resolvin conjugates in tissue regeneration 1 (RCTR1) is an endogenous lipid mediator derived from docosahexaenoic acid , exerting proresolution effects in the process of inflammation. In our research, we evaluated the role of RCTR1 in alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) in lipopolysaccharide-induced ARDS/acute lung injury (ALI) rat model. Rats were injected with RCTR1 (5 µg/kg) via caudal veins 8 hours after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (14 mg/kg) treatment, and then AFC was estimated after 1 hour of ventilation. Primary type II alveolar epithelial cells were incubated with LPS (1 ug/ml) with or without RCTR1 (10 nM) for 8 hours. Our results showed that RCTR1 significantly enhanced the survival rate, promoted the AFC, and alleviated LPS-induced ARDS/ALI in vivo. Furthermore, RCTR1 remarkably elevated the protein expression of sodium channels and Na, K-ATPase and the activity of Na, K-ATPase in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, RCTR1 also decreased neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated 4-2 (Nedd4-2) level via upregulating Ser473-phosphorylated-Akt expression. Besides this, inhibitors of receptor for lipoxin A4 (ALX), cAMP, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) (BOC-2, KH-7, and LY294002) notably inhibited the effects of RCTR1 on AFC. In summary, RCTR1 enhances the protein levels of sodium channels and Na, K-ATPase and the Na, K-ATPase activity to improve AFC in ALI through ALX/cAMP/PI3K/Nedd4-2 pathway, suggesting that RCTR1 may become a therapeutic drug for ARDS/ALI. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: RCTR1, an endogenous lipid mediator, enhanced the rate of AFC to accelerate the resolution of inflammation in the LPS-induced murine lung injury model. RCTR1 upregulates the expression of epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs) and Na, K-ATPase in vivo and in vitro to accelerate the AFC. The efficacy of RCTR1 on the ENaC and Na, K-ATPase level was in an ALX/cAMP/PI3K/Nedd4-2-dependent manner.
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Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/metabolismo , Ácidos Docosahexaenoicos/farmacología , Agonistas del Canal de Sodio Epitelial/farmacología , Canales Epiteliales de Sodio/metabolismo , Alveolos Pulmonares/metabolismo , ATPasa Intercambiadora de Sodio-Potasio/metabolismo , Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/inducido químicamente , Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/tratamiento farmacológico , Animales , Ácidos Docosahexaenoicos/análogos & derivados , Ácidos Docosahexaenoicos/uso terapéutico , Lipopolisacáridos/toxicidad , Masculino , Alveolos Pulmonares/efectos de los fármacos , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-DawleyRESUMEN
This study evaluates the protective role of oyster peptide (OP) on the occurrence of Exercise-Hypogonadal Male Condition. Male rats were given heavy-load swimming training and / or OP was supplemented for 6 consecutive weeks. After heavy-load training, sperm count, sperm viability and sperm motility in epididymis, testosterone in serum and testis, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and androgen receptor (AR) in testis and mating times were remarkably decreased, malondialdehyde (MDA), capture latency and mating latency were significantly increased, mRNA expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) and P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) were obviously down-regulated, but serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) were not statistically changed. Conversely, when OP was supplemented at heavy-load training, sperm count, sperm viability and sperm motility in epididymis, serum FSH, LH, testosterone, GSH-px, superoxide dismutase (SOD), testosterone, AR in testis and mating times were dramatically increased, while testicular MDA, capture latency and mating latency were significantly decreased, and mRNA expression of StAR, StARD7, P450scc and 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ß-HSD) were significantly up-regulated. In conclusion, heavy-load training causes testicular spermatogenic and steroidogenic disorders by enhancing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be protected by the co-administration of OP by enhancing the function of pituitary gonad axis and lowering ROS generation.
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Ostreidae , Motilidad Espermática , Animales , Proteínas Portadoras , Hormona Luteinizante , Masculino , Ratas , Recuento de Espermatozoides , Testículo , TestosteronaRESUMEN
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a fatal disease characterized by excessive infiltration of inflammatory cells. MCTR1 is an endogenously pro-resolution lipid mediator. We tested the hypothesis that MCTR1 accelerates inflammation resolution through resident M2 alveolar macrophage polarization. The mice received MCTR1 via intraperitoneal administration 3 days after LPS stimulation, and then, the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was collected 24 hours later to measure the neutrophil numbers. Flow cytometry was used to sort the resident and recruited macrophages. Post-treatment with MCTR1 offered dramatic benefits in the resolution phase of LPS-induced lung injury, including decreased neutrophil numbers, reduced BAL fluid protein and albumin concentrations and reduced histological injury. In addition, the expression of the M2 markers Arg1, FIZZ1, Remlα, CD206 and Dectin-1 was increased on resident macrophages in the LPS + MCTR1 group. Resident macrophage depletion abrogated the therapeutic effects of MCTR1, and reinjection of the sorted resident macrophages into the lung decreased neutrophil numbers. Finally, treatment with MCTR1 increased STAT6 phosphorylation. The STAT6 inhibitor AS1517499 abolished the beneficial effects of MCTR1. In conclusion, MCTR1 promotes resident M2 alveolar macrophage polarization via the STAT6 pathway to accelerate resolution of LPS-induced lung injury.
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Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/inducido químicamente , Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/metabolismo , Polaridad Celular/fisiología , Lipopolisacáridos/farmacología , Macrófagos Alveolares/metabolismo , Proteínas Oncogénicas/metabolismo , Factor de Transcripción STAT6/metabolismo , Animales , Líquido del Lavado Bronquioalveolar , Inflamación/metabolismo , Pulmón/metabolismo , Activación de Macrófagos/fisiología , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Neutrófilos/metabolismo , Síndrome de Dificultad Respiratoria/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Inflammatory cell infiltration contributes to the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Protectin DX (PDX), an endogenous lipid mediator, shows anti-inflammatory and proresolution bioactions. In vivo, the mice were intraperitoneally injected with PDX (0.1 µg/mouse) after intratracheal (1 mg/kg) or intraperitoneal (10 mg/kg) LPS administration. Flow cytometry was used to measure inflammatory cell numbers. Clodronate liposomes were used to deplete resident macrophages. RT-PCR, and ELISA was used to measure MIP-2, MCP-1, TNF-α and MMP9 levels. In vitro, sorted neutrophils, resident and recruited macrophages (1 × 106 ) were cultured with 1 µg/mL LPS and/or 100 nmol/L PDX to assess the chemokine receptor expression. PDX attenuated LPS-induced lung injury via inhibiting recruited macrophage and neutrophil recruitment through repressing resident macrophage MCP-1, MIP-2 expression and release, respectively. Finally, PDX inhibition of neutrophil infiltration and transmembrane was associated with TNF-α/MIP-2/MMP9 signalling pathway. These data suggest that PDX attenuates LPS-stimulated lung injury via reduction of the inflammatory cell recruitment mediated via resident macrophages.
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Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/patología , Ácidos Docosahexaenoicos/uso terapéutico , Macrófagos/efectos de los fármacos , Lesión Pulmonar Aguda/inducido químicamente , Administración Intranasal , Animales , Quimiocina CCL2/biosíntesis , Quimiocina CCL2/genética , Quimiocina CXCL2/biosíntesis , Quimiocina CXCL2/genética , Quimiocina CXCL2/fisiología , Quimiotaxis de Leucocito/efectos de los fármacos , Ácido Clodrónico/administración & dosificación , Ácido Clodrónico/farmacología , Ácidos Docosahexaenoicos/farmacología , Ácidos Docosahexaenoicos/fisiología , Inflamación , Inyecciones Intraperitoneales , Lipopolisacáridos/administración & dosificación , Lipopolisacáridos/toxicidad , Liposomas , Macrófagos/fisiología , Metaloproteinasa 9 de la Matriz/fisiología , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Neutrófilos/efectos de los fármacos , Receptores CCR2/antagonistas & inhibidores , Receptores de Interleucina-8B/antagonistas & inhibidores , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacos , Migración Transendotelial y Transepitelial/efectos de los fármacos , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/fisiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of early application of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on white matter development in preterm infants using fractional anisotropy (FA) of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). METHODS: A total of 81 preterm infants with gestational age ≤32 weeks, birth weight <1 500â g, and hospitalization within 24 hours after birth were randomly divided into rhEPO group (42 infants) and control group (39 infants). The infants in the rhEPO group were administered rhEPO, while those in the control group were given the same volume of normal saline. The preterm infants of both groups took examinations of head magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, and DTI at the corrected gestational age of 35-37 weeks. FA was calculated for the regions of interest in both groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, focal cerebral white matter damage (CWMD), and extensive CWMD between rhEPO and control groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the rhEPO group showed higher FA values at the posterior limb of the internal capsule, the splenium of the corpus callosum, frontal white matter, and occipital white matter (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in FA values at the parietal white matter, thalamus, lenticular nucleus, and caudate nucleus between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early application of rhEPO has a neuroprotective effect on white matter development in preterm infants.
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Eritropoyetina/farmacología , Fármacos Neuroprotectores/farmacología , Sustancia Blanca/efectos de los fármacos , Imagen de Difusión Tensora , Femenino , Humanos , Recién Nacido , Recien Nacido Prematuro , Masculino , Proteínas Recombinantes/farmacología , Sustancia Blanca/crecimiento & desarrolloRESUMEN
We presented a novel approach for pyrophosphate (PPi) sensing. Two tetraphenylethene (TPE)-functionalised pyridine salts (TPM and TPH) were designed and synthesized. Both of them exhibited weak emission in the solution state that originates from intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) from TPE to the pyridine; the addition of PPi into the TPM aqueous solution would enhance the fluorescence intensity, which eliminates the emission quenching effect of the iodide ion by the formation of PPi-sensor nanoparticles. The detection limit of TPM was determined to be as low as 133 nM. Meanwhile, a thin solid film of TPM that could detect PPi rapidly was conveniently prepared.
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Difosfatos/análisis , Colorantes Fluorescentes/química , Piridinas/química , Sales (Química)/química , Estilbenos/química , Técnicas de Química Analítica , Difosfatos/química , Células HeLa , Humanos , Límite de Detección , Espectrometría de FluorescenciaRESUMEN
Elemental sulfur-based denitrification (ESDeN) technology is known as a cost-saving alternative to its heterotrophic counterpart for nutrient removal from organic-deficient water. However, the traditional fixed-bed reactor (FixBR), as an extensively used process, suffers from a low denitrification rate and even performance deterioration during long-term operation. Herein, we proposed a novel elemental sulfur-based denitrifying moving-bed reactor (ESDeN-MovBR), in which a screw rotator was employed to drive the filled sulfur particles to be microfluidized vertically (a state of vertical-loop movement). Our results showed that the ESDeN-MovBR realized much superior and more stable denitrification performance compared to the ESDeN-FixBR, as indicated by 3.09-fold higher denitrification rate and over one order of magnitude lower intermediates (NO2- and N2O) yield, which could last for over 100 days. Further research revealed that the microfluidization of sulfur particles facilitated the expelling of nitrogen bubbles and excessive biomass, resulting in the prolongation of actual hydraulic retention time by over 80 % and could partially explain the higher denitrification rate in ESDeN-MovBR. The remaining contribution to the improvement of denitrification rate was suggested to be result from changes in biofilm properties, in which the biofilm thickness of ESDeN-MovBR was found to be 3.29 times thinner yet enriched with 2.52 times more autotrophic denitrifiers. This study offered a completely new solution to boost up the denitrification performance of ESDeN technology and provided in-depth evidence for the necessity of biofilm thickness control in such technology.
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Reactores Biológicos , Desnitrificación , Azufre , Procesos Autotróficos , Nitrógeno , NitratosRESUMEN
This study conducted an analysis of the variations in nitrogen metabolism pathways within constructed wetlands (CWs) using zeolite (CW-Z), ceramsite (CW-C), and lava (CW-L) under high concentration sulfamethoxazole (SMX) stress. The introduction of SMX hindered the formation of hydrogen bonds on the substrate surfaces; however, these surfaces still maintained a dense and thick biofilm. CW-Z exhibited superior removal efficiencies for ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) compared to CW-C and CW-L, with removal rates of 92.54 ± 2.88 % and 89.39 ± 6.74 %, respectively. Interestingly, the proportion of genes involved in nitrification, denitrification and nitrate reduction genes in CW-C (36.05 %) were higher than that in CW-C (29.81 %) and CW-L (29.70 %) but the interactions among nitrogen functional bacteria in CW-Z were much more complex. Further analysis of the nitrogen metabolism pathway indicated that under CW-Z enhanced dissimilatory nitrate reduction SMX stress, while CW-L enhanced assimilatory nitrate reduction process compared to CW-C.
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Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos , Aguas Residuales , Desnitrificación , Nitratos/análisis , Sulfametoxazol , Humedales , Compuestos Orgánicos , Nitrógeno/análisisRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Upper extremity (UE) dynamic balance is a significant physical fitness ability, which includes high-level neuromuscular proprioception, joint mobility, force, and coordination. The evaluation methods of UE dynamic balance are insufficient and lack experimental support. The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a reliable assessment of dynamic balance and injury risk of the lower extremity. HYPOTHESIS: The UE-SEBT is a reliable and reproducible approach for evaluating dynamic balance of UEs. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 65 healthy adults. All participants were required to complete UE-SEBT, UE Y-balance test (UE-YBT), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of UE, closed kinetic chain UE stability test (CKCUEST), trunk flexor endurance test (TFET), trunk extensor endurance test (TEET), and lateral trunk endurance test (LTET). Intra- and inter-rater reliability and the correlation of UE-SEBT with other outcomes were measured. RESULTS: Among the participants, the intra- and interoperator reliability of UE-SEBT in all directions and composite score achieved a moderate-to-excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICC], 0.729-0.946) reliability. For validity, the UE-SEBT had a moderate to very strong correlation with UE-YBT (r = 0.315-0.755, P < 0.01) and a strong correlation with CKCUEST (r = 0.4-0.67, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the UE-SEBT performance showed weak-to-strong correlations with MVIC (r = 0.26-0.43, P < 0.05). UE-SEBT was also correlated with LTET, TEET, and TFET to varying degrees. CONCLUSION: UE-SEBT has good reliability and validity to assess UE dynamic balance compared with other tests. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: UE-SEBT can be used as a clinical assessment method to evaluate UE dynamic balance and injury prevention.
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Accurate delineation of Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) is crucial for radiotherapy. Deep learning-driven GTV segmentation technologies excel in rapidly and accurately delineating GTV, providing a basis for radiologists in formulating radiation plans. The existing 2D and 3D segmentation models of GTV based on deep learning are limited by the loss of spatial features and anisotropy respectively, and are both affected by the variability of tumor characteristics, blurred boundaries, and background interference. All these factors seriously affect the segmentation performance. To address the above issues, a Layer-Volume Parallel Attention (LVPA)-UNet model based on 2D-3D architecture has been proposed in this study, in which three strategies are introduced. Firstly, 2D and 3D workflows are introduced in the LVPA-UNet. They work in parallel and can guide each other. Both the fine features of each slice of 2D MRI and the 3D anatomical structure and spatial features of the tumor can be extracted by them. Secondly, parallel multi-branch depth-wise strip convolutions adapt the model to tumors of varying shapes and sizes within slices and volumetric spaces, and achieve refined processing of blurred boundaries. Lastly, a Layer-Channel Attention mechanism is proposed to adaptively adjust the weights of slices and channels according to their different tumor information, and then to highlight slices and channels with tumor. The experiments by LVPA-UNet on 1010 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) MRI datasets from three centers show a DSC of 0.7907, precision of 0.7929, recall of 0.8025, and HD95 of 1.8702 mm, outperforming eight typical models. Compared to the baseline model, it improves DSC by 2.14 %, precision by 2.96 %, and recall by 1.01 %, while reducing HD95 by 0.5434 mm. Consequently, while ensuring the efficiency of segmentation through deep learning, LVPA-UNet is able to provide superior GTV delineation results for radiotherapy and offer technical support for precision medicine.
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OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between (i) various types of physical activity and the risk of back pain incidence, and (ii) the influence of substituting sedentary behaviours with physical activities on back pain incidence. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. METHODS: We analyzed UK Biobank data collected from 365,307 participants who were free of back pain at baseline. The exposures were total, light, moderate and vigorous physical activity, and sedentary behaviours. The outcome was back pain incidence. The main statistical models were the Cox proportional hazard model and the isotemporal substitution model. RESULTS: In the follow-up time (median, 12.97 years; inter-quartile range, 12.10-13.71), 25,189 individuals developed back pain. The associations between all types of physical activity and incident back pain were significantly non-linear (p < 0.001) among the general population and other subgroups. High physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of back pain compared with no physical activity. The lowest risk occurred in the 1801-2400 MET-min/week subgroup of total physical activity (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.59-0.69), approximately consisting of 1200, 600, and 600 MET-min/week of light, moderate and vigorous physical activity, respectively. Extremely high vigorous physical activity was related to high risk, specifically in males (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.25). Replacing 1 hour/day of sedentary behaviours with an equal time of physical activity reduced the risk of incident back pain by 2%-8% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Physical activity was related to a reduced risk of back pain incidence (except over-high vigorous physical activity). Substituting sedentary behaviours with physical activities reduced the risk of future back pain.
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Dolor de Espalda , Ejercicio Físico , Conducta Sedentaria , Humanos , Masculino , Estudios Prospectivos , Femenino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Incidencia , Dolor de Espalda/epidemiología , Adulto , Reino Unido/epidemiología , Anciano , Factores de Riesgo , Modelos de Riesgos ProporcionalesRESUMEN
Decidual macrophages (dMÏs) play critical roles in regulation of immune-microhomeostasis at maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, it was found that litter size and fetal weight were significantly reduced, whereas the rate of embryo resorption was increased in miR-3074-5p knock-in (3074-KI) pregnant mice, compared to that of wild-type (WT) pregnant mice. Plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in 3074-KI pregnant mice were also significantly elevated compared to WT pregnant mice at GD7.5. The quantity of M1-MÏs in uterine tissues of 3074-KI pregnant mice was significantly increased compared to WT pregnant mice at GD13.5. Estrogen receptor-α (ERα) was validated to be a target of miR-3074-5p. Either miR-3074-5p overexpression or ERα knockdown promoted transcriptional activity of NF-κB/p65, induced M1-polarization and pyroptosis of THP1-derived MÏs, accompanied with increased intracellular levels of cleaved Caspase-1, cleaved IL-1ß, NLRP3, cleaved GSDMD and ASC aggregation. Furthermore, ERα could not only bind to NLRP3 or ASC directly, but also inhibit the interaction between NLRP3 and ASC. The endometrial miR-3074-5p expression level at the middle secretory stage of repeated implantation failure (RIF) patients was significantly decreased compared to that of control fertile women. These data indicated that miR-3074-5p could promote M1 polarization and pyroptosis of MÏs via activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by targeting ERα, and the dysregulation of miR-3074-5p expression in dMÏs might damage the embryo implantation and placentation by interfering with inflammatory microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface during early pregnancy.
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BACKGROUND: The effect of physical therapy on pain and disability alleviation in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) has been demonstrated, but the risk factors for treatment failure remain unknown. AIM: To explore the associations of baseline demographic and clinical characteristics with treatment failure after physical therapy intervention for cLBP. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of a single-blind randomized clinical trial. SETTING: A rehabilitation hospital. POPULATION: A total of 98 patients with cLBP completed the 12-month measurement. METHODS: Patients were randomly grouped into 3-month therapeutic aquatic exercise or physical therapy modalities. The primary outcome was treatment failure, which was defined as a decrease in the numeric rating scale to less than 2.0 points at 12-month follow-up. Associations between baseline demographic and clinical characteristics with risk of treatment failure were assessed by logistic regressions. RESULTS: The pain intensity in the failure cases was alleviated after 3-month intervention but continuously increased at 6- and 12-month follow-up (P<0.05). Old age was significantly associated with an increased risk of treatment failure (adjusted OR 3.26, 95% CI 1.11-9.60). Compared with those receiving physical therapy modalities, the patients receiving therapeutic aquatic exercise had less risk of treatment failure (adjusted OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.08-0.47), and age (P=0.022) was a modifier for this association. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with younger ones, older patients with cLBP had a higher risk of treatment failure after physical therapy and gained a stronger benefit of long-term pain alleviation from therapeutic aquatic exercise. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Therapeutic aquatic exercise is an effective therapy for cLBP and more helpful for preventing treatment failure than physical therapy modalities, especially for older patients.
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Dolor Crónico , Dolor de la Región Lumbar , Dimensión del Dolor , Modalidades de Fisioterapia , Insuficiencia del Tratamiento , Humanos , Dolor de la Región Lumbar/rehabilitación , Femenino , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Método Simple Ciego , Dolor Crónico/rehabilitación , Adulto , Anciano , Terapia por Ejercicio/métodos , Factores de Edad , Evaluación de la DiscapacidadRESUMEN
Despite the promising potential of elemental sulfur-based denitrification (ESDeN) packed-bed progresses, challenges such as excessive biofilm growth and gas entrapment persist, leading to denitrification deterioration. Water flush (WF) is recognized as an effective strategy, yet its effects remain underexplored. To address this knowledge gap, this study systematically investigated WF effects on ESDeN packed-bed denitrification. Results demonstrated that controlling WF effectively regulated denitrification, achieving superior and stable rates. Compared to no WF (0.45 kgN·m-3·d-1), rates improved by 1.20 â¼ 1.56 times under low-frequency (weekly WF, 0.54 kgN·m-3·d-1) and low-intensity WF (0.54 â¼ 0.70 kgN·m-3·d-1). High-frequency (hours WF) and high-intensity WF (30 & 50 m/h) further amplified denitrification rates by 1.73 â¼ 2.29 times. The enhanced denitrifications under low-frequency/intensity WF were mainly attributed to prolonged actual hydraulic retention time (AHRT), while high-frequency/intensity WF improved both AHRT prolonging and biofilm thinning, facilitating mass transfer. This study offers a promising avenue for fine-tuning denitrification rates via strategic WF adjustments.