African swine fever virus I73R is a critical virulence-related gene: A potential target for attenuation.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large, double-stranded DNA virus that causes a fatal disease in pigs, posing a threat to the global pig industry. Whereas some ASFV proteins have been found to play important roles in ASFV-host interaction, the functional roles of many proteins are still largely unknown. In this study, we identified I73R, an early viral gene in the replication cycle of ASFV, as a key virulence factor. Our findings demonstrate that pI73R suppresses the host innate immune response by broadly inhibiting the synthesis of host proteins, including antiviral proteins. Crystallization and structural characterization results suggest that pI73R is a nucleic-acid-binding protein containing a Zα domain. It localizes in the nucleus and inhibits host protein synthesis by suppressing the nuclear export of cellular messenger RNA (mRNAs). While pI73R promotes viral replication, the deletion of the gene showed that it is a nonessential gene for virus replication. In vivo safety and immunogenicity evaluation results demonstrate that the deletion mutant ASFV-GZΔI73R is completely nonpathogenic and provides effective protection to pigs against wild-type ASFV. These results reveal I73R as a virulence-related gene critical for ASFV pathogenesis and suggest that it is a potential target for virus attenuation. Accordingly, the deletion mutant ASFV-GZΔI73R can be a potent live-attenuated vaccine candidate.

Muscle synergy and kinematic synergy analyses during sit-to-stand motions in hallux valgus patients before and after treatment with Kinesio taping.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the impact of hallux valgus (HV) on lower limb neuromuscular control strategies during the sit-to-stand (STS) movement, and to evaluate the effects of Kinesio taping (KT) intervention on these control strategies in HV patients. METHODS: We included 14 young healthy controls (HY), 13 patients in the HV group (HV), and 11 patients in the HV group (HVI) who underwent a Kinesio taping (KT) intervention during sit-to-stand (STS) motions. We extracted muscle and kinematic synergies from EMG and motion capture data using non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF). In addition, we calculated the center of pressure (COP) and ground reaction forces (GRF) to assess balance performance. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the numbers of muscle and kinematic synergies between groups. In the HV group, knee flexors and ankle plantar flexors were abnormally activated, and muscle synergy D was differentiated. Muscle synergy D was not differentiated in the HVI group. CONCLUSION: Abnormal activation of knee flexors and plantar flexors led to the differentiation of module D in HV patients, which can be used as an indicator of the progress of HV rehabilitation. KT intervention improved motor control mechanisms in HV patients.

Establishing sex- and age-specific normative values for the Senior Fitness Test among community-dwelling elderly aged 70 and older in Eastern China: a community-based study.

BACKGROUND: The preservation of physical health is of crucial importance for the overall well-being of the ageing population, a concern that is particularly relevant in the context of rapidly ageing societies such as China. The Senior Fitness Test has emerged as an instrument for evaluating and monitoring the physical fitness of elderly individuals. However, there is a lack of data regarding the normative values of physical fitness among community-dwelling elderly people aged 70 years and older in China. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to propose sex- and age-specific normative values for the components of the Senior Fitness Test in a large-based sample of Chinese aged over 70, thus contributing to the development of more tailored interventions addressing the aging trends. METHODS: A total of 21,305 community-dwelling elderly individuals aged over 70 (53.02% female) were evaluated using the Senior Fitness Test in Hangzhou, China. Sex- and age-specific normative values for each component were computed, ranging from the 5th to the 95th percentile, with increments of the 5th percentile. RESULTS: The results showed that the normative values vary by gender and age, declining with age in both males and females. Males exhibit superior strength, endurance, and dynamic balance, while females tend to have greater flexibility. CONCLUSION: This study established sex- and age-specific normative values for selected components of the Senior Fitness Test among elderly individuals in China. The study's findings provided performance standards for clinically assessing the physical fitness of Chinese seniors and could serve as valuable insights for future research endeavors.

Network Analysis of Sexual Sensation Seeking, Internalized Homophobia, and Social Norms Among Men Who Have Sex with Men with Different Sexual Partner Types.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at disproportionate risk for developing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as HIV. Understanding the relationships among factors related to risky sexual behaviors, such as internalized homophobia, sexual sensation seeking, and individual and community norms, among MSM with different sexual partner types may contribute to designing targeted interventions for reducing risky sexual behaviors and STI transmission. We conducted a cross-sectional study recruiting 781 MSM in Sichuan Province, China. All participants were divided into groups with and without sexual partners, groups with regular and casual sexual partners, and groups with only male and both male and female partners in the past 6 months. Network analysis was used to analyze the relationships among dimensions of self-reported sexual sensation seeking, internalized homophobia, and social norms in different groups. Of 781 MSM, 606 (77.6%) had sexual partners in the past 6 months, and among these participants, 429 (70.8%) had casual sexual partners, and 103 (17.0%) had both male and female sexual partners. The complex and intensive relationships between dimensions were mainly observed in networks of MSM with any type of sexual partners, with individual norms (dimension of social norms) presenting strongly negative relationships with fresh feeling (dimension of sexual sensation seeking) and homosexuality morality (dimension of internalized homophobia). One dimension of sexual sensation seeking (i.e., fresh feeling) and two dimensions of internalized homophobia (i.e., homosexuality morality and self-identification) were relatively central variables in most groups, especially for those with casual sexual partners. Our study highlights the role of individual norms in restraining sensation seeking, internalized homophobia, especially among MSM with sexual partners. Intervention targeting these central variables may contribute to reduced risky sexual behaviors and further slow the spread of STIs in MSM.

Associations and pathways between residential greenness and hyperuricemia among adults in rural and urban China.

BACKGROUND: Residential greenness may decrease the risk for hyperuricemia in rural areas, but the urban-rural disparities in this association and underlying pathways have not been studied. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the associations and potential pathways between residential greenness and hyperuricemia in urban and rural areas. METHODS: The baseline survey of the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) was used. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid (SUA) > 417 µmol/L for men and >357 µmol/L for women. The satellite-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) were used to capture residential greenness. A propensity score inverse-probability weighting method was used to assess urban-rural differences in the associations between residential greenness and hyperuricemia, with possible mediation effects of physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI), PM2.5, and NO2 examined by causal mediation analyses. RESULTS: A total of 72,372 participants were included. The increases in the EVI500m and NDVI500m residential greenness were associated with a decreased risk for hyperuricemia and the SUA level in both urban and rural areas. For example, each 0.1-unit increase in EVI500m was associated with a decreased hyperuricemia risk of 7% (OR = 0.93 [0.91, 0.96]) and a decreased SUA level of -1.77 µmol/L [-2.60, -0.93], respectively; such associations were stronger in urban areas for both the risk for hyperuricemia (OR = 0.84 [0.83, 0.86]) and SUA level (-7.18 µmol/L [-7.91, -6.46]). The subgroup analysis showed that the greenness-hyperuricemia/SUA association varied by age, sex, and annual household income. The percentage of the joint mediation effect of PA, BMI, PM2.5, and NO2 on the association between EVI500m and the risk for hyperuricemia was higher in urban (34.92%) than rural areas (15.40%). BMI, PM2.5, and PA showed significantly independently mediation effects for the greenness-hyperuricemia association in both rural and urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to residential greenness was associated with a decreased risk for hyperuricemia, partially through the pathways of PA, BMI, PM2.5, and NO2, which varied in urban and rural areas.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on activity patterns and weight status among youths in China: the COVID-19 Impact on Lifestyle Change Survey (COINLICS).

Lockdown measures including school closures due to COVID-19 may affect youths' activity patterns and obesity status. This will be for the first time examined in China in this study on the basis of a large national sample from the COVID-19 Impact on Lifestyle Change Survey (COINLICS). Through an online questionnaire, 10,082 participants from high schools, colleges, and graduate schools, aged 19.8 ± 2.3 years, voluntarily reported their lifestyles and weight status before (January 2020) and after lockdown (April-May 2020). The significance of these changes was assessed between sexes and across education levels. We found that the youths' average body mass index significantly increased from 21.8 to 22.1 kg/m2, with the prevalences of overweight/obesity and obesity increasing from 21.4% to 24.6% and from 10.5% to 12.6%, respectively. Also, significant decreases were seen in the frequency of engaging in active transport, moderate-/vigorous-intensity housework, leisure-time moderate-/vigorous-intensity physical activity, and leisure-time walking, while significant increases were observed in the average sedentary time during workdays and weekends, the average sleeping time during workdays and weekends, and screen time. Our findings would serve as important evidence for shaping global strategies to counteract or reverse the lockdown effects on youths' obesity.

Curcumin: A review of experimental studies and mechanisms related to periodontitis treatment.

Curcumin is the main active ingredient of turmeric, which has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including antitumor, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, immune regulation, and so on. Periodontitis is a prevalent oral inflammatory disease caused by a variety of factors. In recent years, many studies have shown that curcumin has a potential role on the treatment of periodontitis. Curcumin has been used in research related to the treatment of periodontitis in the form of solution, chip, gel, and capsule. Combined with other periodontitis treatment methods, such as scaling and root planing (SRP) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), can enhance curcumin's efficacy in treating periodontitis. In addition to natural curcumin, chemically modified curcumin, such as 4-phenylaminocarbonyl bis-demethoxy curcumin (CMC 2.24) and 4-methoxycarbonyl curcumin (CMC 2.5), have also been used in animal models of periodontitis. Here, this paper reviews the research progress of curcumin on the treatment of periodontitis and its related mechanisms.

Impacts of lockdown on dietary patterns among youths in China: the COVID-19 Impact on Lifestyle Change Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in dietary patterns among youths in China after COVID-19 lockdown. DESIGN: This study was based on the COVID-19 Impact on Lifestyle Change Survey (COINLICS), a national retrospective survey established in early May 2020. The questionnaire was distributed through social media platforms. The sociodemographic information and routine dietary patterns before and after lockdown of participants were investigated. t tests and χ2 tests were used to compare the differences in consumption patterns of twelve major food groups and beverages between sex and across educational levels before and after lockdown. Factor analysis was employed to obtain the main dietary patterns. SETTINGS: China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10 082 youths. RESULTS: A significant decrease was observed in the average weekly frequency of rice intake, while significant increases were observed in the frequency of intake of wheat products, other staple foods, fish, eggs, fresh vegetables, preserved vegetables, fresh fruit and dairy products (all P values < 0·01). Heterogeneities of average weekly frequency existed between sex and across educational levels to different extents. The three main dietary patterns derived were loaded most heavily on dairy products, rice and wheat products, separately; the rice pattern became more dominant than the wheat products pattern after lockdown. The frequency of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption had decreased, while the frequency of other beverages had increased. CONCLUSIONS: Our timely survey would inform policymakers and health professionals of these significant changes in youths' dietary patterns after lockdown, with heterogeneities observed to different extents between sex and across educational levels, for better policy-making and public health practice.

Social capital and sleep disorders in Tibet, China.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep plays an important role in the health and well-being of middle aged and elderly people, and social capital may be one of the important factors for sleep disorders. This study aimed to understand the relationship between social capital and sleep disorders in a unique region of China -Tibet that generally has the disadvantaged economic status compared to other parts of China. METHODS: The study was based on Tibetan data from The China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) and was conducted from May 2018 to September 2019. A total of 3194 Tibetans aged > 50 were selected from the community population by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling. Social capital was measured using two validated health-related social capital scales, family/community and society.. Sleep disorders were measured as the presence of disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, or daytime dysfunction. Logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between social capital and sleep disorders. RESULTS: 39.9% (1271/3194) of the participants had sleep disorders. In addition, after controlling for all potential variables, family social capital was significantly negatively associated with sleep disorders (OR = 0.95, P < 0.05), while community and society social capital was not associated with sleep disorders. Then, when we did all the sex-stratified analyses, the significant association between social capital and sleep disorders was found only in women (OR = 0.94, P < 0.05), while no association was found in males; neither males nor females showed any association with community and society social capital. CONCLUSION: Our study would help to better understand the extent of health inequality in China, and guide future interventions, strategies and policies to promote sleep quality in low-income areas, taking into account both the role of Tibetan specific cultural traditions, lifestyles and religious beliefs in social capital and the gender differences in social capital.

Discovery of nitropyridyl-based dichloropropene ethers as insecticides.

A series of nitropyridyl-based dichloropropene ethers were prepared and evaluated for their insecticidal activities against main lepidopteran pests such as M. separate, P. xylostella and P. litura. The compounds showed a broad-spectrum of remarkable insecticidal activities. Especially 4a (2,6-dichloro-4-(3,3-dichloroallyloxy)phenyl 3-[5-nitro-2-pyridyloxy]propyl ether) and 11a (2-(4-(3-(2,6-dichloro-4-((3,3-dichloroallyl)oxy)phenoxy)propoxy)phenoxy)-5-nitropyridine) displayed potent activities comparable to that of Pyridalyl, the only commercialized dichloropropene ether insecticide thus far. The structure-activity relationship was also discussed.

[Effect of vitamin D supplementation on gestational diabetes mellitus:a Meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: This Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial( RCT) was conducted to summarize the preventive and therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation on gestational diabetes mellitus( GDM). METHODS: The electronic database( CNKI, CBM, VIP, PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science) were systematically searched from inception to February 2018, using the keywords vitamin D and gestational diabetes to identify Meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 16 RCTs were included. A total of 6 RCTs were included for the prevention of GDM by vitamin D supplementation. Meta-analysis indicated that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced the level of fasting plasma glucose( FPG)( SMD =-1. 87, 95% CI-3. 39--0. 35) and the incidence of GDM( OR = 0. 42, 95% CI 0. 30-0. 60) in pregnant women. Ten RCTs were included for the treatment of GDM by vitamin D supplementation. Meta-analysis indicated that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced the level of fasting plasma glucose( FPG)( SMD =-0. 29, 95% CI-0. 56--0. 02) and Fasting Insulin( FINS)( SMD =-0. 42, 95% CI-0. 69--0. 15), also improved the homeostasis model of assessment-estimated insulin resistance( HOMA-IR)( SMD =-0. 53, 95% CI-0. 89--0. 17) and the homeostasis model of assessment-estimated B cell function( HOMA-ß)( SMD =-0. 39, 95% CI-0. 61--0. 18), and increased the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index( QUICKI)( SMD = 0. 87, 95% CI 0. 41-1. 32) in GDM patients. CONCLUSION: supplementation may prevent and treat GDM by an improvement in HOMA-IR, HOMA-IR and QUICKI.

Two mutations in the HR2 region of Newcastle disease virus fusion protein with a cleavage motif "RRQRRL" are critical for fusogenic activity.

BACKGROUND: Newcastle disease virus (NDV) causes severe diseases in avian species. Its fusion protein cleavage site (Fcs) is a major contributor to virulence and membrane fusion. Previous studies showed that a change from phenylalanine (F) to lysine (L) at position 117 of the virulent strain fusion protein, which has the polybasic amino acid Fcs motif "112RRQKR↓F117", blocked syncytium formation. However, we observed that F proteins of the virulent strain F48E9 and avirulent strain LaSota substituted with an identical cleavage motif, "112RRQRR↓L117", induced extensive and slight syncytium formation, respectively. Accordingly, we hypothesized that the difference in syncytium formation is caused by other regions of the fusion protein. RESULTS: The exchanged regions between the fusion proteins of two strains, F48E9 and LaSota, showed that the region from amino acid 118-499 plays an important role in modulation of fusogenic activity in transfected cells. Further dissection of this region indicated that replacement of two amino acids (N479D, R486S) in heptad repeat 2 (HR2) of the avirulent fusion protein by the virulent counterpart resulted in fusion promotion. Moreover, the role of these two amino acids in fusion is dependent on the unique Fcs sequence "RRQRR↓L". CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that two amino acids (D479, S486) of the virulent strain F protein with this unique Fcs were critical for promoting fusogenic activity, and residue F or L at position 117 did not affect syncytium formation. These findings provide novel insights into fusogenic triggering by the fusion protein and may be useful for designing antiviral peptides.

Application of CRISPR/Cas9 for Rapid Genome Editing of Pseudorabies Virus and Bovine Herpesvirus-1.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is widely used to manipulate viral genomes. Although Alphaherpesvirinae genomes are large and complicated to edit, in recent years several Pseudorabies virus (PRV) mutants have been successfully generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. However, the application of CRISPR/Cas9 editing on another member of alpha herpesviruses, bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1), is rarely reported. This paper reports a rapid and straightforward approach to manipulating herpesviruses genome using CRISPR/Cas9. The recombinant plasmids contained the left and right arm of the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of PRV or of the glycoprotein I (gI) and glycoprotein E (gE) of BHV-1. Upon the cleavage of the TK or gIgE gene by Cas9 protein, this was replaced by the enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP) by homologous recombination. With this approach, we generated recombinant TK-/eGFP+ PRV and gIgE-/eGFP+ BHV-1 mutants and then proceeded to characterize their biological activities in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, we showed that alpha herpesvirus, including PRV and BHV-1, can be rapidly edited using the CRISPR/Cas9 approach paving the way to the development of animal herpesvirus vaccines.

Internet-Based Supportive Interventions for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: As dementia progresses, patients exhibit various psychological and behavioral symptoms, imposing a significant burden on families and society, including behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. However, caregivers lack professional care knowledge and skills, making it difficult for them to effectively cope with the diverse challenges of caregiving. Therefore, it is necessary to provide caregivers with professional knowledge and skills guidance. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the impact of internet-based training on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in patients, and explore how this training model affects the caregiving abilities and caregiving burden of the family caregivers of patients with dementia. Methods: Using a consecutive enrollment method, the Department of Geriatrics at Zhejiang Hospital (Zhejiang, China) recruited 72 informal caregivers of patients with dementia. These caregivers were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group, with 36 participants in each group. The intervention group underwent caregiver skill training via a web-based platform, whereas the control group initially received face-to-face follow-up guidance and was subsequently offered web-based training after 6 months. To assess the effectiveness of the intervention program, we used the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), the Chinese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (CZBI), and the Sense of Competence in Dementia Care Staff Scale (SCIDS) for evaluations conducted before the intervention, 3 months after the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention. Results: Between July 2019 and December 2020, a total of 66 patients successfully completed the intervention and follow-up. After 6 months of intervention, the NPI-Q score of the intervention group was 3.18 (SD 3.81), the CZBI score was 10.97 (SD 5.43), and the SCIDS score was 71.88 (SD 4.78). The NPI-Q score of the control group was 8.09 (SD 8.52), the CZBI score was 30.30 (SD 13.05), and the SCIDS score was 50.12 (SD 9.10). There were statistically significant differences in NPI-Q (P=.004), CZBI (P<.001), and SCIDS scores (P<.001) between the intervention group and the control group. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that compared with before the intervention, there were statistically significant differences in CZBI (P<.001) and SCIDS (P<.001) scores 3 months after the intervention, while the difference in NPI-Q (P=.11) scores was not significant. The total scores of NPI-Q (P<.001), CZBI (P<.001), and SCIDS (P<.001) were significantly improved 6 months after the intervention. In addition, the results of the covariance analysis showed that after excluding the time effect, the web-based training intervention significantly reduced the NPI-Q score (-2.79, 95% CI -4.38 to -1.19; P<.001) of patients with dementia and the CZBI score (-13.52, 95% CI -15.87 to -11.16; P<.001) of caregivers, while increasing the SCIDS score (12.24, 95% CI 9.02-15.47; P<.001). Conclusions: Internet-based training could significantly reduce the level of behavioral symptoms in older patients with dementia and alleviate the burden on caregivers, enhancing their caregiving abilities. Our results confirmed the effectiveness and feasibility of web-based training, which was of great significance in providing caregiving knowledge training for informal caregivers of persons with dementia.

The Effect of Short-Term Kinesiology Taping on Neuromuscular Controls in Hallux Valgus During Gait: A Study of Muscle and Kinematic Synergy.

To investigate the biomechanical mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and explore the effects of kinesiology taping (KT) on neuromuscular control in HV patients. The study population consisted of 16 young controls (YC group) and 15 patients with hallux valgus (HV group). All subjects underwent a natural velocity gait assessment. Additionally, 11 patients from the HV group received KT intervention over a period of one month, consisting of 15 sessions administered every other day. After the one-month intervention, these patients underwent a gait assessment and were included in the HV-KT group. The electromyography (EMG) and joint motion were evaluated using non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) to compare the difference in muscle and kinematic synergy among the three groups. The center of plantar pressure (COP) and ground reaction force (GRF) were measured by the force platform. The number of synergies did not differ within the three groups, but the structure of muscle synergies and kinematic synergies differed in the HV group. The KT intervention (HV-KT group) altered the structure of synergies. The correlation between kinematic synergies and muscular synergies was lower in the HV group than in the YC group, whereas the correlation between the two increased after the KT intervention in the HV group. During gait, the HV group tended to activate more muscles around foot joints to maintain body stability. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, hallux valgus angle (HVA), and COP were significantly decreased after the intervention ( [Formula: see text]). HV patients exhibited altered kinematic and muscular synergies structures as well as muscle activation. Also, it weakened the balance and athletic ability of HV patients. KT intervention improved neuromuscular control to provide a better gait performance.

Impact of Implementing and Lifting COVID-19 Lockdown on Study and Physical Activity Patterns Among Youths in China.

OBJECTIVE: The youths' study and physical activity (PA) patterns may have been affected by lockdown measures due to COVID-19. This study aimed to reveal how youths' study and PA patterns had changed after implementing and lifting COVID-19 lockdown in China. METHODS: The COVID-19 Impact on Lifestyle Change Survey (COINLICS) was used, where 10082 youth participants voluntarily reported their study and PA patterns in the 3 periods before, during, and after COVID-19 lockdown. PA was measured as the weekly frequency of engaging in active transport for commuting/errands, leisure-time walking, leisure-time moderate-/vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), and moderate-/vigorous-intensity housework (MVH); study patterns were measured as the daily average study time and the major study modes. We assessed differences of these variables across educational levels, sex, and periods. RESULTS: The significant decreases were generally observed during lockdown in the frequency of active transport for commuting/ errands (1.3 to 0.2 days/ week), leisure-time walking (1.0 to 0.2 days/ week), leisure-time MVPA (0.7 to 0.3 days/ week), and MVH (2.3 to 2.0 days/ week), with heterogeneities existing between sexes and across educational levels, except for the increase in MVH engagement among graduate students, especially female (1.5 to 2.4 days/ week). Rebounds were observed in the frequency of all activities except MVH after lifting lockdown (2.0 to 1.9 days/ week). The average study time generally increased during lockdown, with more youths studying for 1 - 4 hours/ day and less studying for < 1 hour/ day, and further increased after lockdown. A main shift of study modes has been from in-class to online study after implementing lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: The youths' PA level have generally decreased, and study patterns significantly changed during and after lockdown in China. Our results would inform policymakers and educational administrators of the declined PA levels and changed study patterns among youths during COVID-19 lockdown for better policy making. In - class and/ or extracurricular PA programs could be designed to counteract those effects under cooperation of youths' parents.

A novel method for in vivo measurement of dynamic ischiofemoral space based on MRI and motion capture.

Purpose: To use a novel in vivo method to simulate a moving hip model. Then, measure the dynamic bone-to-bone distance, and analyze the ischiofemoral space (IFS) of patients diagnosed with ischiofemoral impingement syndrome (IFI) during dynamic activities. Methods: Nine healthy subjects and 9 patients with IFI were recruited to collect MRI images and motion capture data. The motion trail of the hip during motion capture was matched to a personalized 3D hip model reconstructed from MRI images to get a dynamic bone model. This personalized dynamic in vivo method was then used to simulate the bone motion in dynamic activities. Validation was conducted on a 3D-printed sphere by comparing the calculated data using this novel method with the actual measured moving data using motion capture. Moreover, the novel method was used to analyze the in vivo dynamic IFS between healthy subjects and IFI patients during normal and long stride walking. Results: The validation results show that the root mean square error (RMSE) of slide and rotation was 1.42 mm/1.84° and 1.58 mm/2.19°, respectively. During normal walking, the in vivo dynamic IFS was significantly larger in healthy hips (ranged between 15.09 and 50.24 mm) compared with affected hips (between 10.16 and 39.74 mm) in 40.27%-83.81% of the gait cycle (p = 0.027). During long stride walking, the in vivo dynamic IFS was also significantly larger in healthy hips (ranged between 13.02 and 51.99 mm) than affected hips (between 9.63 and 44.22 mm) in 0%-5.85% of the gait cycle (p = 0.049). Additionally, the IFS of normal walking was significantly smaller than long stride walking during 0%-14.05% and 85.07%-100% of the gait cycle (p = 0.033, 0.033) in healthy hips. However, there was no difference between the two methods of walking among the patients. Conclusions: This study established a novel in vivo method to measure the dynamic bone-to-bone distance and was well validated. This method was used to measure the IFS of patients diagnosed with IFI, and the results showed that the IFS of patients is smaller compared with healthy subjects, whether in normal or long stride walking. Meanwhile, IFI eliminated the difference between normal and long stride walking.

Self-Assembly of Antimicrobial Peptide-Based Micelles Breaks the Limitation of Trypsin.

Targeting the limitation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) application in vivo, self-assembled AMPs library with specific nanostructures is expected to gradually overtake monomer AMPs libraries in the future. Peptide polymers are fascinating self-assembling nanoscale structures that have great advantage in biomedical applications because of their satisfactory biocompatibility and versatile properties. Herein, we describe a strategy for inducing the self-assembly of T9W into nanostructured antimicrobial micelles with evidently improved pharmacological properties, that is, PEGylation at the C-terminal of T9W (CT9W1000), an antibacterial biomaterial that self-assembles in aqueous media without exogenous excipients, has been developed. Compared with parental molecular, the CT9W1000 is more effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and its antibacterial spectrum had also been broadened. Additionally, CT9W1000 micelles had higher stability under salt ion, serum, and acid-base environments. Importantly, the self-assembled structure is highly resistant to trypsin degradation, probably allowing T9W to be applied in clinical settings in the future. Mechanistically, by acting on membranes and through supplementary bactericidal mechanisms, CT9W1000 micelles contribute to the antibacterial process. Collectively, CT9W1000 micelles exhibited good biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo, resulting in highly effective treatment in a mouse acute lung injury model induced by P. aeruginosa PAO1 without drug resistance. These advances may profoundly accelerate the clinical transformation of T9W and promote the development of a combination of peptide-based antibiotics and PEGylated nanotechnology.

Rural-urban disparities in the associations of residential greenness with diabetes and prediabetes among adults in southeastern China.

AIMS: Greenness offers health benefits to prevent diabetes in urban areas. However, urban-rural disparities in this association have not been explored, with the underlying pathways understudied as well. We aimed to investigate and compare the associations and potential pathways between residential greenness and the risks for diabetes and prediabetes in urban and rural areas. METHODS: Diabetes and prediabetes were diagnosed by fasting blood glucose (FBG). The participants' residential greenness exposure was estimated by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). The association of residential greenness with the risks for diabetes and prediabetes was estimated by logistic regression and the generalized additive model. The potential mediation effects of air pollution, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity (PA) were examined by causal mediation analysis. RESULTS: Of the 50,593 included participants, and the prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes were 21.22 % and 5.63 %, respectively. Each 0.1-unit increase in EVI500m and NDVI500m for healthy people reduced the risk for prediabetes by 12 % and 8 %, respectively, and substantially reduced the risk for diabetes by 23 % and 19 %, respectively. For those with prediabetes, each 0.1-unit increase in EVI500m and NDVI500m reduced the diabetes risk by 14 % and 12 %, respectively. Compared to the risks for diabetes at the 25th percentile of EVI500m/NDVI500m, such risks significantly reduced when EVI500m (NDVI500m) increased over 0.43 (0.48) and 0.28 (0.39) in urban and rural areas, respectively. The residential greenness-prediabetes/diabetes associations were mediated by air pollution and PA in urban areas and by air pollution and BMI in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to residential greenness was associated with a lower risk for prediabetes and diabetes in urban areas and, more strongly, in rural areas, which were partly mediated by air pollution, PA, and BMI.