Prevalence and risk factors of occupational neck pain in Chinese male fighter pilots: a cross-sectional study based on questionnaire and cervical sagittal alignment.

Background: Neck pain (NP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder among fighter pilots and has become a rising concern due to its detrimental impact on military combat effectiveness. The occurrence of NP is influenced by a variety of factors, but less attention has been paid to the association of NP with demographic, occupational, and cervical sagittal characteristics in this group. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of NP in Chinese male fighter pilots using a questionnaire and cervical sagittal measurements. Methods: Demographic and flight-related data, as well as musculoskeletal pain information, were gathered from Chinese male fighter pilots via a self-report questionnaire. Cervical sagittal parameters were measured and subtypes were classified using standardized lateral cervical radiographs. Differences in various factors between the case and control groups were analyzed using t-tests or chi-square tests. Binary logistic regressions were conducted to explore potential risk factors contributing to NP. Predictors were presented as crude odds ratios (CORs) and adjusted odds ratios (AORs), along with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 185 male fighter pilots were included in this cross-sectional study. Among them, 96 (51.9%) reported experiencing NP within the previous 12 months. The multivariate regression analysis revealed that continuous flight training (AOR: 4.695, 95% CI: 2.226-9.901, p < 0.001), shoulder pain (AOR: 11.891, 95% CI: 4.671-30.268, p < 0.001), and low back pain (AOR: 3.452, 95% CI: 1.600-7.446, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with NP. Conclusion: The high 12-month prevalence of NP among Chinese male fighter pilots confirms the existence of this growing problem. Continuous flight training, shoulder pain, and low back pain have significant negative effects on pilots' neck health. Effective strategies are necessary to establish appropriate training schedules to reduce NP, and a more holistic perspective on musculoskeletal protection is needed. Given that spinal integrated balance and compensatory mechanisms may maintain individuals in a subclinical state, predicting the incidence of NP in fighter pilots based solely on sagittal characteristics in the cervical region may be inadequate.

Four-dimensional mapping of dynamic longitudinal brain subcortical development and early learning functions in infants.

Brain subcortical structures are paramount in many cognitive functions and their aberrations during infancy are predisposed to various neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, making it highly essential to characterize the early subcortical normative growth patterns. This study investigates the volumetric development and surface area expansion of six subcortical structures and their associations with Mullen scales of early learning by leveraging 513 high-resolution longitudinal MRI scans within the first two postnatal years. Results show that (1) each subcortical structure (except for the amygdala with an approximately linear increase) undergoes rapid nonlinear volumetric growth after birth, which slows down at a structure-specific age with bilaterally similar developmental patterns; (2) Subcortical local area expansion reveals structure-specific and spatiotemporally heterogeneous patterns; (3) Positive associations between thalamus and both receptive and expressive languages and between caudate and putamen and fine motor are revealed. This study advances our understanding of the dynamic early subcortical developmental patterns.

End Group Nonplanarization Enhances Phototherapy Efficacy of A-D-A Fused-Ring Photosensitizer for Tumor Phototherapy.

Enhancing the phototherapy efficacy of organic photosensitizers through molecular design is a fascinating but challenging task. Herein, we propose a simple design strategy to first realize the generation of superoxide anion radical (O2•-) by A-D-A fused-ring photosensitizers. Through replacing one cyano group of traditional end group with an ester group, we designed a novel nonplanar end group (A unit) to synthesize a novel A-D-A photosensitizer F8CA. In a comparison with its counterpart F8CN with the traditional end group, F8CA displays more loose packing and larger spin-orbit coupling constants. The F8CA nanoparticles showed higher photodynamic activities with the generation capability of singlet oxygen (1O2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), and O2•-, while F8CN nanoparticles could only generate 1O2 and •OH. In addition, F8CA nanoparticles still remain high photothermal conversion efficiency (61%). As a result, F8CA nanoparticles perform well in hypoxia-tolerant tumor phototherapy. This study brings an effective design thought for A-D-A photosensitizers.

Self-assembly and label-free fluorescent aptasensor based on deoxyribonucleic acid intercalated dyes for detecting lactoferrin in milk powder.

Lactoferrin (Lf), an iron-binding glycoprotein, regulates the immune system. It has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and is critical for child physical growth and development. As a common additive in the dairy industry, it is crucial to quantify LF content. This study established a self-assembly and universal fluorescence aptasensor for detecting LF in milk powder based on structure-selective dyes of PicoGreen intercalated in the label-free aptamer. Herein, the aptamer functions as both a specific recognition element against targets and a fluorescent signal reporter integrated with structure-selective dyes. First, the aptamer folds into a three-dimensional spatial structure based on complementary base pairings and intermolecular weak non-covalent interactions. Then, the dye is intercalated into the minor groove structures of the aptamer and triggers its potential fluorescent property. When the target exists, the aptamer binds to it preferentially, and its space structure unfolds. This causes the freeing of the subsequent dye and decreases the corresponding fluorescence. Hence, the reflected fluorescence signals could directly determine the target concentrations. Under the optimum conditions, a good linear relationship (R 2, 0.980) was obtained in the Lf range from 20 to 500 nM with a detection limit of 3 nM (2.4 mg/kg) and good specificity, as well as a reliable recovery of 95.8-105.1% in milk powder. In addition, the universality was also confirmed with a good performance by quickly changing the aptamers against other targets (chlorpyrifos, acetamiprid, bovine thyroglobulin, and human transferrin) or utilizing another fluorescence dye. Therefore, this self-assembly aptasensor provides a universal and concise strategy for effective detection.

Adsorption and removal of organophosphorus pesticides from Chinese cabbages and green onions by using metal organic frameworks based on the mussel-inspired adhesive interface.

Based on the mussel-inspired adhesive interface (Fe3O4-g-C3N4@PDA), a novel bionic metal-organic framework (Fe3O4-g-C3N4-PDA@MIL-101) was successfully prepared. The composite featured a high specific surface area and a multi-microchannel structure, as well as strong thermochemical stability. The structural property of Fe3O4-g-C3N4-PDA@MIL-101(Fe) was characterized, and the results indicated that Fe3O4, PDA, and MIL-101(Fe) were uniformly coated on the g-C3N4 surface. The adsorption and desorption of organophosphorus pesticides with Fe3O4-g-C3N4-PDA@MIL-101(Fe) were evaluated by batch experiments. This composite showed high adsorption efficiency and selective removal of coralox, phosalone, and chlorpyrifos. Under the optimal conditions, three organophosphorus pesticides were adsorbed from Chinese cabbage and green onion samples with Fe3O4-g-C3N4-PDA@MIL-101(Fe). The analytical method exhibited high sensitivity (LOD, 0.19-2.34 µg/L; LOQ, 0.65-7.82 µg/L), excellent practicality, and good stability, suggesting that Fe3O4-g-C3N4-PDA@MIL-101 was an ideal candidate magnetic adsorbent for the removal of organophosphorus pesticides in Chinese cabbage and green onion samples.

3D Slicer Craniomaxillofacial Modules Support Patient-Specific Decision-Making for Personalized Healthcare in Dental Research.

The biggest challenge to improve the diagnosis and therapies of Craniomaxillofacial conditions is to translate algorithms and software developments towards the creation of holistic patient models. A complete picture of the individual patient for treatment planning and personalized healthcare requires a compilation of clinician-friendly algorithms to provide minimally invasive diagnostic techniques with multimodal image integration and analysis. We describe here the implementation of the open-source Craniomaxillofacial module of the 3D Slicer software, as well as its clinical applications. This paper proposes data management approaches for multisource data extraction, registration, visualization, and quantification. These applications integrate medical images with clinical and biological data analytics, user studies, and other heterogeneous data.

Chrysin ameliorates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

In this study, the effects of chrysin on cerebral ischemia by establishing middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rat were investigated. In vivo experiments, the rats were orally administrated with clopidogrel or chrysin once daily for 7 days before the experimental of ischemia and the rats were divided into 5 groups: the sham group, the I/R group, I/R + clopidogrel group, I/R + chrysin (10 mg/kg), I/R + chrysin (20 mg/kg) group. Chrysin significantly ameliorated the I/R rats, evaluated by TTC staining, determination of brain wet to dry weight ratio and neurological deficits. Moreover, in serum and brain tissues of the I/R rats, chrysin also could effectively suppress the release of inflammatory cytokines, including levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In addition, chrysin could improve the SOD activity in the I/R rats. Mechanically, chrysin could activate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, inhibited inflammation and apoptosis. In oxygen-glucose deprivation and recovery (OGD/R)-induced SH-SY5Y cells in vitro. Chrysin markedly decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß in supernatant of OGD/R-induced SH-SY5Y cells via activating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that chrysin might be a potential therapeutic agent for cerebral ischemia.

Correlation of fluorine 18-labeled sodium fluoride uptake and arterial calcification on whole-body PET/CT in cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Fluorine-18-labeled sodium fluoride (F-NaF) uptake measured with PET in the vessel walls can indicate active microcalcification, a potential biomarker of higher-risk plaques, which are not indicated by macrocalcification measured with computed tomography (CT). The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which F-NaF uptake is correlated with calcification at arterial plaques in cancer patients undergoing whole-body PET/CT imaging. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Image data from 179 patients who underwent F-NaF PET/CT were evaluated retrospectively. Plaques were categorized into four groups by calcium score (CS) on CT: CS1 (≥1000); CS2 (400-999); CS3 (100-399), and CS4 (<100) and into three groups by F-NaF target-to-background ratio (TBR) on PET: TBRlow (≤1.0), TBRmedium (1.0-1.5), and TBRhigh (>1.5). Correlations between F-NaF uptake and CS were evaluated. RESULTS: Plaques with F-NaF uptake or arterial calcification were observed in 122 (76%) of the 179 patients. We found a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between CS and F-NaF uptake. The TBR in CS1 plaques was higher than those in CS3 and CS4 plaques, and the TBR in CS2 plaques was higher than that in CS3 plaques (P<0.05). Compared with patients whose plaques were with F-NaF uptake (TBR>1.5) or arterial calcification (CS>0), patients without plaques of F-NaF uptake or calcification were significantly younger (P=0.00) or with significantly more women (P=0.02). CONCLUSION: Our finding of a weak but significant positive correlation between F-NaF uptake and arterial calcification suggests that F-NaF PET/CT could provide complementary information of active microcalcification for atherosclerosis evaluation in cancer patients.

The antitumor effect of arsenic trioxide on hepatocellular carcinoma is enhanced by andrographolide.

High concentrations of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) are used to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia and solid tumors, with negative side effects to normal cells. Andrographolide is a traditional Chinese medicine that exerts anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-virus, and anti-diabetic effects. Here, we tested the effects of combined andrographolide with As2O3 against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that by increasing apoptosis, andrographolide synergistically enhanced the anti-tumor effects of As2O3 in HepG2 cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, results from our microarray assays and experiments with mouse xenografts showed that EphB4 was downregulated by the combination of As2O3 plus andrographolide. These findings suggest that the combination of andrographolide and As2O3 could yield therapeutic benefits in the treatment of HCC.

Shanzhiside methylester, the principle effective iridoid glycoside from the analgesic herb Lamiophlomis rotata, reduces neuropathic pain by stimulating spinal microglial ß-endorphin expression.

Lamiophlomis rotata (L. rotata, Duyiwei) is an orally available Tibetan analgesic herb widely prescribed in China. Shanzhiside methylester (SM) is a principle effective iridoid glycoside of L. rotata and serves as a small molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. This study aims to evaluate the signal mechanisms underlying SM anti-allodynia, determine the ability of SM to induce anti-allodynic tolerance, and illustrate the interactions between SM and morphine, or SM and ß-endorphin, in anti-allodynia and anti-allodynic tolerance. Intrathecal SM exerted dose-dependent and long-lasting (>4 h) anti-allodynic effects in spinal nerve injury-induced neuropathic rats, with a maximal inhibition of 49% and a projected ED50 of 40.4 µg. SM and the peptidic GLP-1 receptor agonist exenatide treatments over 7 days did not induce self-tolerance to anti-allodynia or cross-tolerance to morphine or ß-endorphin. In contrast, morphine and ß-endorphin induced self-tolerance and cross-tolerance to SM and exenatide. In the spinal dorsal horn and primary microglia, SM significantly evoked ß-endorphin expression, which was completely prevented by the microglial inhibitor minocycline and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor SB203580. SM anti-allodynia was totally inhibited by the GLP-1 receptor antagonist exendin(9-39), minocycline, ß-endorphin antiserum, µ-opioid receptor antagonist CTAP, and SB203580. SM and exenatide specifically activated spinal p38 MAPK phosphorylation. These results indicate that SM reduces neuropathic pain by activating spinal GLP-1 receptors and subsequently stimulating microglial ß-endorphin expression via the p38 MAPK signaling. Stimulation of the endogenous ß-endorphin expression may be a novel and effective strategy for the discovery and development of analgesics for the long-term treatment of chronic pain.

Peptidic exenatide and herbal catalpol mediate neuroprotection via the hippocampal GLP-1 receptor/ß-endorphin pathway.

Both peptidic agonist exenatide and herbal agonist catalpol of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) are neuroprotective. We have previously shown that activation of spinal GLP-1Rs expresses ß-endorphin in microglia to produce antinociception. The aim of this study was to explore whether exenatide and catalpol exert neuroprotection via activation of the hippocampal GLP-1R/ß-endorphin pathway. The rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model was employed, and the GLP-1R immunofluorescence staining and ß-endorphin measurement were assayed in the hippocampus and primary cultures of microglia, neurons and astrocytes. The immunoreactivity of GLP-1Rs on microglia in the hippocampus was upregulated after ischemia reperfusion. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of exenatide and catalpol produced neuroprotection in the rat transient ischemia/reperfusion model, reflected by a marked reduction in brain infarction size and a mild recovery in neurobehavioral deficits. In addition, i.c.v. injection of exenatide and catalpol significantly stimulated ß-endorphin expression in the hippocampus and cultured primary microglia (but not primary neurons or astrocytes). Furthermore, exenatide and catalpol neuroprotection was completely blocked by i.c.v. injection of the GLP-1R orthosteric antagonist exendin (9-39), specific ß-endorphin antiserum, and selective opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. Our results indicate, for the first time, that the neuroprotective effects of catalpol and exenatide are GLP-1R-specific, and that these effects are mediated by ß-endorphin expression probably in hippocampal microglia. We postulate that in contrast to the peripheral tissue, where the activation of GLP-1Rs in pancreas islet ß-cells causes secretion of insulin to perform glucoregulation, it leads to ß-endorphin expression in microglial cells to produce neuroprotection and analgesia in the central nervous system.

Xuefuzhuyu decoction for hyperlipidemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trails.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xuefuzhuyu decoction for hyperlipidemia. METHODS: Randomized clinical trials on hyperlipidemia treated by Xuefuzhuyu decoction, either alone or with Western Medicine, were searched in electronic databases. Databases searched were: MEDLINE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library 2013 (Issue 4), China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Database up to 2 May, 2013. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analysis were conducted according to the Cochrane standards. RESULTS: Six randomized clinical trials involving 748 patients (373 patients in the treatment group, 375 patients in the control group) were included in the analysis. The studies were of low methodological quality. Meta-analysis indicated that the effect of Xuefuzhuyu decoction on hyperlipidemia was better than that in the control group [n = 748, OR = 5.07, 95% CI (3.40, 7.58), P < 0.01]. Weighted mean differences in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were - 0.79, - 0.74, - 0.44, 0.16, respectively, and Meta-analysis revealed that the treatment group was better than the control group with 95% CI (- 1.21, - 0.36),(- 0.94, - 0.55), (- 0.77, - 0.11), (0.04, 0.27), respectively (all P < 0.05). Some adverse events in evaluated studies were recorded. CONCLUSION: Xuefuzhuyu decoction may be effective for treating hyperlipidemia. The studies we analyzed were of low methodological quality, which indicates that the above findings should be considered cautiously. Therefore, more strictly designed large-scale randomized clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of Xuefuzhuyu decoction in hyperlipidemia.

Antidepressant-like effects and mechanism of action of SYG in depression model in rats.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate whether SYG, a Chinese herbal formula, could produce antidepressant-like effects in learned helplessness (LH) model and chronic mild stress (CMS) model in rats. The mechanism underlying the antidepressant-like action was investigated by exploring BDNF signaling way in the hippocampus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: SYG was administrated for 5 consecutive days (100 and 200 mg/kg/day, intragastrically) in the learned helplessness model; SYG was administered daily by gastric gavages during both the 5-week stress session and behavior tests periods in the chronic mild stress model (100 and 200 mg/kg). The serum corticosterone level was measured in the learned helplessness model. Levels of BDNF and Tyrosine-related kinase B (TrkB), were evaluated in the hippocampus of chronic mild stress model. RESULTS: A deficit in avoidance learning and higher corticosterone level were observed in learned helplessness rats. SYG significantly reduced this deficit and reversed the corticosterone alteration. CMS induced significant reduction of sucrose intake in the sucrose preference test, an increased latency to feed in the novelty-suppressed feeding test and an increased immobility time in the forced swim test as compared to the control. It was also found that BDNF and TrkB levels were decreased in CMS model. Chronic treatment of SYG significantly suppressed the behavioral changes and up-regulated the BDNF signal pathway in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that SYG alleviates depression induced by LH and CMS model. The antidepressant-like activity of SYG is likely mediated by activation the BDNF signal pathway in the hippocampus.

Antidepressant-like effects and memory enhancement of a herbal formula in mice exposed to chronic mild stress.

Shen Yuan Gan (SYG) is a Chinese herbal prescription composed of total saponins of Panax ginseng and total oligosaccharide esters of Polygala tenuifolia (2:1). Our previous studies have demonstrated that SYG has antidepressant-like effects in various mouse models of behavioral depression. The present study aimed to test whether SYG affected chronic mild stress (CMS)-induced depression and cognitive impairment in mice. We found that a 5-week CMS schedule induced significant degradation of the coat state, decreased sucrose intake in the sucrose-preference test, and increased the latency to feed in the noveltysuppressed feeding test. All of these CMS-induced changes were ameliorated by SYG (100 and 200 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (10 mg/kg). In addition, SYG restored the decreased monoamine neurotransmitter concentrations (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine) induced by CMS in the prefrontal cortex. Interestingly, SYG ameliorated CMS-induced cognitive impairment in the step-through test, and increased the acetylcholine level in the prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that SYG has an antidepressant-like action and enhances cognition by modulating the serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine levels in the prefrontal cortex.