The relationship of personality, alexithymia, anxiety symptoms, and odor awareness: a mediation analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Personality, emotions, and olfaction exhibit partial anatomical overlap in the limbic system structure, establishing potential mechanisms between personality, affective disorders, and olfactory-related aspects. Thus, this study aims to investigate the associations among the Big Five personality traits, alexithymia, anxiety symptoms, and odor awareness. METHODS: A total of 863 college participants were recruited for this study. All participants completed the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory-15, the Odor Awareness Scale (OAS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener-7. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the hypothesized mediated model. RESULTS: The findings revealed the majority of significant intercorrelations among the dimensions of the Big Five personality traits, alexithymia, anxiety symptoms, and OAS (|r| = 0.072-0.567, p < 0.05). Alexithymia and anxiety symptoms exhibited a serial mediation effect between neuroticism and OAS (95%CI[0.001, 0.014]), conscientiousness and OAS (95%CI[-0.008, -0.001]), and extraversion and OAS (95%CI[-0.006, -0.001]). Anxiety symptoms mediated the relationship between agreeableness and OAS (95%CI[-0.023, -0.001]) and between openness and OAS (95%CI [0.004, 0.024]). CONCLUSION: The mediating roles of alexithymia and anxiety symptoms between the Big Five personality traits and odor awareness support the idea of a certain level of association among personality, emotions, and olfaction, with the underlying role of the limbic system structure. This enhances our understanding of personality, emotions, and olfaction and provides insights for future intervention measures for affective disorders and olfactory dysfunctions.

Syntheses of functionalized benzocoumarins by photoredox catalysis.

Direct functionalization of inert C(sp3)-H bonds is an attractive synthetic technology for the preparation of pharmaceutically significant compounds in modern synthetic organic chemistry. In this work, we report a new method for the synthesis of functionalized benzocoumarins through the strategy of activation of multiple C-H bonds on 2-aryl toluenes under visible-light-enabled photoredox conditions. This method has the advantages of high functional group compatibility, mild reaction conditions, and effectively avoiding the use of strong oxidants and precious metal catalysts. Detailed mechanistic investigations, including spectroscopic and electrochemical studies, support the reaction's mechanistic course.

Diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration with rapid on-site evaluation performed by endoscopists in solid pancreatic lesions: A prospective, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is the most established diagnostic method for pancreatic tissue. Rapid on-site evaluation by a trained endoscopist (self-ROSE) can improve the diagnostic accuracy. This research is aimed to analyze the application value of self-ROSE for EUS-FNA in solid pancreatic lesions. METHODS: A total of 194 consecutive patients with solid pancreatic lesions in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to EUS-FNA with or without self-ROSE in this single-center randomized controlled trial. Before initiating self-ROSE, the endoscopist underwent training for pancreatic cytologic sample adequacy assessment and cytopathological diagnosis of EUS-FNA in pathology department for 1 month. Some parts of the slides of EUS-FNA were air dried, stained on-site with BASO Liu's reagent, and on-site evaluated in self-ROSE group. Between the two groups, the diagnostic performance of EUS-FNA was analyzed, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy, with a comparison of the number of needle passes and the complication rates. RESULTS: The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 94.8%, 94.4%, 100%, 100%, and 58.3% in the self-ROSE group, respectively, and 70.1%, 65.1%, 100%, 100%, and 32.6% in the non-self-ROSE group. The diagnostic accuracy (P < 0.001) and sensitivity (P < 0.001) were both significantly increased during EUS-FNA in the self-ROSE group compared to the non-self-ROSE group. The rate of cytologic sample adequacy was 100% in self-ROSE group and 80.4% in non-self-ROSE group. The number of passes were 3.38 ± 1.00 in self-ROSE group and 3.22 ± 0.89 in non-self-ROSE group (P = 0.228). No complications were found in both. There was acceptable consistency between endoscopist and pathologist in the cytopathological diagnosis (kappa = 0.666, P < 0.05) and in the sample adequacy rate (kappa = 1.000, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that self-ROSE is valuable for EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of solid pancreatic lesions and is an important choice to routinely increase the accuracy of EUS-FNA in centers without ROSE assessment.

EUS-guided portal pressure gradient measurement in patients with acute or subacute portal hypertension.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: EUS-guided portal pressure gradient (EUS-PPG) measurement is a novel method to evaluate portal hypertension severity. In this study, we determined the consistency between EUS-PPG and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurements in patients with acute or subacute portal hypertension. METHODS: Twelve patients were prospectively enrolled. EUS-PPG measurements were performed using a 22-gauge FNA needle and a central venous pressure measurement monitor. The HVPG measurements were performed using the transjugular approach. If an HVPG measurement was not attainable and the patient underwent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) treatment, a PPG was recorded as a reference standard during the procedure. We assessed the feasibility and safety of EUS-PPG and calculated the correlation between the 2 measurements. RESULTS: EUS-PPG measurements were successful in 11 patients (91.7%). Subsequent HVPG measurements failed in 2 patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (hepatic vein occlusion subtype), 1 of whom underwent TIPS treatment to obtain transjugular PPG data. A small shunt was found during 1 HVPG measurement that introduced inaccuracy. Nine patients were included in the statistical analysis. Mean EUS-PPG and HVPG/PPG (transjugular) were 18.07 ± 4.32 mm Hg and 18.82 ± 3.43 mm Hg, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficient between the 2 methods was .923 (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: EUS-PPG measurement using a 22-gauge FNA needle was a safe and accurate method to evaluate portal hypertension and has the potential to supplement the measurement of HVPG in liver diseases. (Clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR1800017317.).

Cerium/Ascorbic Acid/Iodine Active Species for Redox Flow Energy Storage Battery.

In this study, we developed a novel cerium/ascorbic acid/iodine active species to design a redox flow battery (RFB), in which the cerium nitrate hexahydrate [Ce(NO3)3·6H2O] was used as a positive Ce3+/Ce4+ ion pair, and the potassium iodate (KIO3) containing ascorbic acid was used as a negative I2/I- ion pair. In order to improve the electrochemical activity and to avoid cross-contamination of the redox pair ions, the electroless plating and sol-gel method were applied to modify the carbon paper electrode and the Nafion 117 membrane. The electrocatalytic and electrochemical properties of the composite electrode using methanesulfonic acid as a supporting electrolyte were assessed using the cyclic voltammetry (CV) test. The results showed that the Ce (III)/Ce (IV) active species presented a symmetric oxidation/reduction current ratio (1.09) on the C-TiO2-PdO composite electrode. Adding a constant amount of ascorbic acid to the iodine solution led to a good reversible oxidation/reduction reaction. Therefore, a novel Ce/ascorbic acid/I RFB was developed with C-TiO2-PdO composite electrodes and modified Nafion 117-SiO2-SO3H membrane using the staggered-type flow channel, of which the energy efficiency (EE%) can reach about 72%. The Ce/ascorbic acid/I active species can greatly reduce the electrolyte cost compared to the all-vanadium redox flow battery system, and it therefore has greater development potential.

Light Energy Conversion Surface with Gold Dendritic Nanoforests/Si Chip for Plasmonic Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Surfaces with gold dendritic nanoforests (Au DNFs) on Si chips demonstrate broadband-light absorption. This study is the first to utilize localized surface plasmons of Au DNFs/Si chips for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) applications. A convenient halogen lamp was used as the heating source to illuminate the Au DNFs/Si chip for PCR. A detection target of Salmonella spp. DNA fragments was reproduced in this plasmonic PCR chip system. By semi-quantitation in gel electrophoresis analysis, the plasmonic PCR with 30 cycles and a largely reduced processing time provided results comparable with those of a commercial PCR thermal cycler with 40 cycles in more than 1 h. In the presence of an Au DNFs/Si chip, the plasmonic PCR provides superior results in a short processing time.

Effects of Storage Time and Temperature on Antioxidants in Juice from Momordica charantia L. and Momordica charantia L. var. abbreviata Ser.

This study determined the antioxidant activities of juice from Momordica charantia L. (MC) and MC var. abbreviata Ser. (MCVAS) by analyzing 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability, ferric reducing power (FRP), and total phenolic content (TPC). The effects of storage time and storage temperature on these antioxidant activities were investigated. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was conducted to identify the major components of MC and MCVAS. The results revealed that the antioxidant activity of MCVAS was better than that of MC, possibly because of richer components of MCVAS. For MC and MCVAS, the scavenging concentrations of 50% DPPH were 3.33 and 1.19 mg/mL, respectively; moreover, the FRP values were 68.93 and 118.14 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g dry weight, respectively; and the TPC values were 8.15 and 11.47 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight, respectively. The antioxidant activities of MC and MCVAS decreased with storage time. High storage temperature decreased antioxidant activity more quickly than a low temperature. In addition, MC had exhibited a faster decline in DPPH scavenging ability and FRP than MCVAS during 24-day storage, but no difference was observed in TPC.

SIRT1 inhibits gastric cancer proliferation and metastasis via STAT3/MMP-13 signaling.

Gastric cancer prognoses are persistently poor due to cancer's penchant to metastasize. As a crucial regulator of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) signaling, sirtuin 1's (SIRT1) function in gastric cancer has not been well understood. Here, we report upregulated expression of SIRT1 in tissues isolated from gastric cancer patients. However, we show that the depletion of SIRT1-mediated enhanced cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, and resulted in the enrichment of phosphorylated STAT3, acetylated STAT3, and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Additionally, we demonstrate that small interfering RNAs targeting the production of STAT3, AG490, and CL-821983 in cancer cells depleted of SIRT1 reduce metastasis. Our findings indicate that MMP-13 expression is associated with lymph node metastasis and poor survival outcomes in gastric cancer patients. In vivo models also showed that depleted SIRT1 promoted gastric cancer growth via the STAT3/MMP-13 axis. In conclusion, SIRT1 depletion encourages gastric cancer progression through the activation of STAT3/MMP-13 signaling, suggesting that SIRT1 may function as a tumor suppressor. We postulate that the upregulation of SIRT1 in gastric cancer patients may be the result of a feedback mechanism that aims to oppose the damaging effects of STAT3 signaling. As such, SIRT1 activators could potentially serve as preventive and therapeutic treatments for metastatic gastric cancer.

Green biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles using Chenopodium formosanum shell extract and analysis of the particles' antibacterial properties.

BACKGROUND: Various physical and chemical methods for synthesis of metal nanoparticles have had some drawbacks. Therefore, green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) has became one of the most crucial emerging areas of nanobiotechnology. In the present study, plant-mediated synthesis of Au NPs was performed using Djulis (Chenopodium formosanum) shell extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. RESULTS: Reaction parameters were manipulated to optimize the Au NPs using a UV-visible spectrophotometer. Optimized Au NPs with a surface plasmon resonance band at 533 nm were prepared using a 744 µg mL-1 extract and a solution of pH 2.62 chloroauric acid (HAuCl4 ·3H2 O) at 40 °C. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) results indicated that most of the resultant Au NPs were spherical in shape and exhibited a mean size of 8 ± 6 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the elemental gold and crystalline nature of the resultant NPs. FTIR spectrum analysis indicated the critical role of phenolic groups in the reduction of Au3+ ions and stabilization of the formed Au NPs. Moreover, the synthesized Au NPs possessed antibacterial activity for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. CONCLUSION: In this study, Au NPs were synthesized with high efficiency and stability using Djulis shell extract, and related antibacterial applications were demonstrated. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Investigation of chemotherapy-induced brain structural alterations in breast cancer patients with generalized q-sampling MRI and graph theoretical analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast neoplasms are the most common cancer among women in Taiwan. Cognitive deficits are common complications of breast cancer survivors treated with chemotherapy. The most frequently observed disorders involve executive function and memory impairment. With improvements in tumor intervention and the consequent increase in the number of cancer survivors, the quality of life of patients has become an important issue. We are interested in the early effects of chemotherapy on the brain structures of patients. In addition, generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI), a wide range of q-space datasets for a more accurate and sophisticated diffusion MR approach, was first used in this topic. METHODS: As diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is associated with restrictions in the resolution of crossing fibers, we attempted to use GQI, which can overcome these difficulties and is advantageous over DTI for tractography of the crossing fibers. This cross-sectional study included two groups: breast cancer survivors who had completed their chemotherapy (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 20). All participants underwent diffusion MRI exams and neuropsychological assessments. We included four parts in our image analysis, i.e., voxel-based statistical analysis, multiple regression analysis, graph theoretical analysis and network-based statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results from the voxel-based statistical analysis showed significantly lower GFA and NQA values in the breast cancer group than those in the control group. We found significant positive correlations between the FACT-Cog and GQI indices. In the graph theoretical analysis, the breast cancer group demonstrated significantly longer characteristic path length. Adjuvant chemotherapy affected the integrity of white matter and resulted in poor cognitive performance, as indicated by the correlations between the neuropsychological assessment scales and the GQI indices. In addition, it was found that the characteristic path lengths in the breast cancer group increased, indicating that the brain network integration became worse. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated alterations in structural brain networks and associated neuropsychological deficits among breast cancer survivors.

Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Polymers: A Mini-Review.

Human safety and well-being is threatened by microbes causing numerous infectious diseases resulting in a large number of deaths every year. Despite substantial progress in antimicrobial drugs, many infectious diseases remain difficult to treat. Antimicrobial polymers offer a promising antimicrobial strategy for fighting pathogens and have received considerable attention in both academic and industrial research. This mini-review presents the advances made in antimicrobial polymers since 2013. Antimicrobial mechanisms exhibiting either passive or active action and polymer material types containing bound or leaching antimicrobials are introduced. This article also addresses the applications of these antimicrobial polymers in the medical, food, and textile industries.

Pharmacokinetics and efficiency of brain targeting of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 given as Nao-Qing microemulsion.

Nao-Qing solution has been shown to be clinically effective in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The purpose of this study was to improve the pharmacokinetics and brain uptake of Nao-Qing, administered as an oil-in-water microemulsion. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given Nao-Qing microemulsion by intranasal or intragastric routes. Samples of blood, brain, heart, liver, lung and kidney were collected at pre-determined time intervals, and the contents of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 (active ingredients of the Nao-Qing microemulsion) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that contents of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 in Nao-Qing microemulsion was 8475.13 ± 54.61 µg/ml and 6633.42 ± 527.27 µg/ml, respectively, and that the particle size, pH and viscosity of the microemulsion were 19.9 ± 5.07 nm, 6.1 and 3.056 × 10(-3 )Pas, respectively. Absorption of ginsenoside Rg1 was higher than that of ginsenoside Rb1, which was barely detectable after intragastric administration; furthermore, the concentration of ginsenoside Rg1 in blood and other tissues at each time point was lower for intragastric than for intranasal administration. Compared with intragastric administration, intranasal administration resulted in a shorter tmax (0.08 versus 1 h), a higher Cmax (16.65 versus 11.29 µg/ml), and a higher area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) (592.91 versus 101.70 µgch/ml) in the brain. The relative rates of uptake (Re) and the ratio of peak concentration (Ce) in the brain were 126.31% and 147.48% for ginsenoside Rg1, respectively. These data illustrate that intranasal administration can promote the absorption of drugs in Nao-Qing microemulsion and achieve fast effect.

A cross-sectional survey of self-rated health and its determinants in patients with hypertension.

AIM: The purpose of the study is to investigate the levels of self-rated health, blood pressure control, understand their relationships between the self-rated health and blood pressure control, and to identify the extent to which demographic, disease and psychosocial factors predict the self-rated health of hypertensive patients. METHODS: The study adopted a cross-sectional design. Nine hundred forty-two subjects with essential hypertension were invited to join the study, 807 completed the survey. Self-report questionnaires were used to collect data. The hierarchical logistic regression was used to test the determinants of self-rated health status. RESULTS: Of all the subjects, 59.3% rated their health status as good, and 41.7% perceived their health status as poor. In terms of levels of blood pressure control, nurse-measured blood pressure showed that 40.2% of the subjects had good control levels, 59.8% for poor control levels. There were positive relationships between good self-rated health and controlled blood pressure of hypertensive patients (p<0.05). The logistic regression model showed that the determinants of subjects' self-rated health included income (OR=4.28; 95% CI=1.86-6.25), duration of hypertension diagnosis (OR=4.06; 95% CI=2.17-6.35), treatment adherence (OR=9.02; 95% CI=5.36-15.51), physical activity (OR=13.81; 95% CI=10.16-19.57) and social support (OR=8.63; 95% CI=7.17-11.35). CONCLUSIONS: The self-rated health status and blood pressure control for patients with hypertension is suboptimal, effective strategies should be developed to improve patients' general health.

Triptolide induces apoptotic cell death of human cholangiocarcinoma cells through inhibition of myeloid cell leukemia-1.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a devastating neoplasm, is highly resistant to current chemotherapies. CCA cells frequently overexpress the antiapoptotic protein myeloid cell leukemia-1(Mcl-1), which is responsible for its extraordinary ability to evade cell death. Triptolide, a bioactive ingredient extracted from Chinese medicinal plant, has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in several cancers. METHODS: CCK-8 assay was performed to detect cell survival rate in vitro. DAPI staining and Flow cytometry were used to analyze apoptosis. Western blot was performed to determine the expression levels of caspase-3, caspase-7, caspase-9, PARP, and Mcl-1. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression levels of Mcl-1. The nude mice xenograft model was used to evaluate the antitumor effect of triptolide in vivo. RESULTS: Triptolide reduced cell viability in cholangiocarcinoma cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 12.6 ± 0.6 nM, 20.5 ± 4.2 nM, and 18.5 ± 0.7 nM at 48 h for HuCCT1, QBC939, and FRH0201 respectively. Triptolide induced apoptosis in CCA cell lines in part through mitochondrial pathway. Using quantitative real-time PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence, we have shown that triptolide downregulates Mcl-1 mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, triptolide inhibited the CCA growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Triptolide has profound antitumor effect on CCA, probably by inducing apoptosis through inhibition of Mcl-1. Triptolide would be a promising therapeutic agent for CCA.

Assessing the role of antioxidant and pro-oxidant balance in mediating the relationship between vitamin K intake and depressive symptoms in adults.

Background: Growing evidence suggests a link between vitamin K (VK) intake and depression, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to investigate whether oxidative balance scores (OBS) mediate the association between VK intake and depression in participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018. Methods: We analyzed data from 30,408 individuals. Dietary VK intake served as the independent variable, depression symptoms as the outcome variable, and OBS as the mediator. Multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic splines assessed the associations. Mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential mediating role of OBS. Results: Higher dietary VK intake was associated with lower depression risk in the multivariate model. Compared to the lowest log2 VK quartile, those in the higher quartiles had significantly lower depression odds (Q3: OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.55-0.78; Q4: OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.52-0.78). Additionally, a 1-unit increase in log2 VK intake was associated with a 15% decrease in depression odds (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.81-0.90). Restricted cubic splines revealed a non-linear relationship between log2 VK and depression (p for non-linearity <0.001). Notably, OBS mediated 26.09% (p < 0.001) of the association between log2 VK and depression. Conclusion: Higher VK intake is associated with reduced depression risk, potentially mediated by oxidative balance. Further research is warranted to confirm causality and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

C634Y mutation in RET-induced multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is a rare, autosomal dominant endocrine disease. Currently, the RET proto-oncogene is the only gene implicated in MEN2A pathogenesis. Once an RET carrier is detected, family members should be screened to enable early detection of medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, and hyperparatitity. Among these, medullary thyroid carcinoma is the main factor responsible for patient mortality. Accordingly, delineating strategies to inform clinical follow-up and treatment plans based on genes is paramount for clinical practitioners. CASE SUMMARY: Herein, we present RET proto-oncogene mutations, clinical characteristics, and treatment strategies in a family with MEN2A. A family study was conducted on patients diagnosed with MEN2A. DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of family members, and first-generation exon sequencing of the RET proto-oncogene was conducted. The C634Y mutation was identified in three family members spanning three generations. Two patients were sequentially diagnosed with pheochromocytomas and bilateral medullary thyroid carcinomas. A 9-year-old child harboring the gene mutation was diagnosed with medullary thyroid carcinoma. Surgical resection of the tumors was performed. All family members were advised to undergo complete genetic testing related to the C634Y mutation, and the corresponding treatments administered based on test results and associated clinical guidelines. CONCLUSION: Advancements in MEN2A research are important for familial management, assessment of medullary thyroid cancer invasive risk, and deciding surgical timing.

Congenital Sternoclavicular Sinus-Case Series of a Rare Lower Neck Deformity.

OBJECTIVES: We encountered patients with a congenital cutaneous sinus tract in the sternoclavicular joint region, which we designate as "congenital sternoclavicular sinus (CSCS)." The aim of this investigation is to enhance recognition of this subtle yet noteworthy entity and develop standardized protocols for its management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2013 and 2023, 172 patients, including 78 males and 94 females, were referred to our institution for the management of CSCS. Clinical charts were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The majority of patients (60.5%) were young children below 3 years of age, with only six adult patients and a median age of 27.5 months. The left side was implicated in 157 cases (91.3%). In 146 cases (84.9%), a faint skin streak was noted above the orifice. Yet, no pharyngeal sinus tracts were detected, either through barium swallow studies or direct laryngoscopy. All skin lesions featured a diminutive orifice near the sternoclavicular joint, with the tract extending deeply into the subcutaneous tissue and terminating blindly, short of entering the joint, after a distance of 10 mm (ranging from 5 to 21 mm). Histopathological analysis revealed that the epithelial lining predominantly consisted of stratified squamous epithelium (87.8%), with ciliated columnar epithelium accounting for the remaining 12.2%. CONCLUSIONS: CSCS, though infrequent, presents with distinctive pathological and clinical features. The condition predominantly affects the left sternoclavicular joint region, with the notable "skin streak sign" aiding in diagnosis. We considered CSCS as one disease entity of branchial arch anomalies. Complete surgical excision offers a definitive cure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 2024.

Shear cushions reduce the impact loading rate during walking and running.

In addition to vertical ground reaction force (GRF), anterior-posterior GRF with a greater external moment arm may be another repetitive impact force that contributes to overuse running injuries. In this study, a shear cushion device was placed between the sole of a shoe and the ground to reduce not only the vertical loading, but also the anterior-posterior loading while walking and running. For this study, 15 healthy male runners classified as heel strikers (height: 173.2 +/- 4.7 cm, mass: 68.5 +/- 5.6 kg) were recruited. Participants were required to walk (2.5 m/s), jog (3.5 m/s), and run (4.2 m/s) while wearing shoes with three different sole groove designs (conventional, straight groove, and 45 degrees groove). Both the straight and 45 degrees groove soles provided significant shear shift during walking, jogging, and running, as well as delayed the time to first peak anterior-posterior GRF during walking. The straight groove sole reduced the vertical loading rate during jogging (p = 0.010) and running (p = 0.010), and delayed the time to first peak vertical GRF in all gait conditions. These findings suggest that the vertical loading rate and the time to the first peak anterior-posterior GRF can be changed by the sole groove design under various gait conditions.

Enhanced antioxidant, tyrosinase inhibition, and anti-inflammatory activities of Praeparatum mungo and three of its derivatives.

The main objective of this study is to explore the functions of Praeparatum mungo (PM) and three of its derivatives, Praeparatum mungo/turmeric (PM/T), Praeparatum mungo/bromelain (PM/B), and Praeparatum mungo/inorganic elements (PM/IE). The results indicated that additives included in the fermentation process of PM enhanced PM's antioxidant properties. PM/B exhibited the highest total phenolic content (19.18 ± 0.46 mg gallic acid equivalent/g), DPPH free radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing power. PM/IE exhibited the highest ABTS free radical scavenging activity and chelating ferrous ion activity. PM/T exhibited the best inhibitory tyrosinase activity. The 625 µg/mL PM extract can extensively reduce nitric oxide production of RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated by 1 µg/mL LPS and exhibited no cytotoxicity for anti-inflammatory applications. Additives in PM natural fermentation process can enhance antioxidant, tyrosinase inhibition, and anti-inflammatory properties of PM for future applications.

Chain mediation model of consultation empathy, resilience and resignation coping on depression: a cross-sectional study among patients with COVID-19 in China.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of resilience and resignation coping in the relationship between consultation empathy and depression in patients with COVID-19. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Participants were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 215 patients were recruited for this study. OUTCOME MEASURES: A total of 215 patients completed the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. PROCESS 4.1 model 6 was used to analyse the moderated mediating effects. RESULTS: Consultation empathy had a positive correlation with resilience (r=0.34, p<0.001), and a negative correlation with resignation (r=-0.288, p<0.001) and depression (r=-0.379, p<0.001). Resilience had a negative correlation with resignation (r=-0.463, p<0.001) and depression (r=-0.605, p<0.001). Resignation had a positive correlation (r=0.547, p<0.001) with depression. In the moderated mediating model, consultation empathy had significant indirect predictive effects on depression through resilience (95% CI -0.093 to -0.030) or resignation (95% CI -0.043 to -0.005). Consultation empathy had significant indirect predictive effects on depression through both resilience and resignation (95% CI -0.030 to -0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Consultation empathy not only predicted depression directly, but also indirectly predicted depression through the chain mediating effects of resilience and resignation coping.