Fermented Ginsenosides Alleviate Acute Liver Injury Induced by CCl4 in Mice by Regulating the AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway.

This study investigated the alleviating effect of fermented ginsenosides obtained through yeast strain fermentation transformation on acute liver injury (ALI) induced by CCl4. Strains were screened for their ability to produce ß-glucosidase, the transformation ability of the strain was verified by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain F6 was obtained by 26S rRNA sequencing. After fermentation by F6 strain, it was found that the content of ginsenosides Re, Rb1, and Rb2 was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and rare ginsenosides were detected, with the content of Rh4 and Rg5 reaching 2.65 mg·g-1 and 2.56 mg·g-1. We also explored the preventive effect of fermented ginsenoside extract (FGE) on ALI. Mice were evenly divided into 9 groups as follows: control group, ALI model group, positive drug bifendate group, and treatment group, which included 3 ginsenoside extract (GE) groups and 3 FGE groups (dosage of 150, 300, and 450 mg·kg-1 b.w.). The results showed that compared with the ALI model group, FGE significantly increased the levels of glutathione peroxidase, hydroperoxidase, and superoxide dismutase and also decreased the malondialdehyde level. The levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin markers were significantly reduced, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß were significantly decreased. Bioinformatics analysis combined with Western blot validation explored the molecular mechanism of the effect of FGE. It was found that FGE could downregulate the expression of the p-AKT/AKT and the p-mTOR/mTOR ratios. These results suggested that FGE played an alleviative role in ALI by promoting autophagy to inhibit the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Four-Dimensional Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics of Ginsenoside Rg2 Ameliorated Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Mice through the Lysosomal Pathway.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease. Ginsenoside Rg2 has shown potential in treating AD, but the underlying protein regulatory mechanisms associated with ginsenoside Rg2 treatment for AD remain unclear. This study utilized scopolamine to induce memory impairment in mice, and proteomics methods were employed to investigate the potential molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rg2 in treating AD model mice. The Morris water maze, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and Nissl staining results indicated that ginsenoside Rg2 enhanced cognitive ability and decreased neuronal damage in AD mice. Proteomics, western blot, and immunofluorescence results showed that ginsenoside Rg2 primarily improved AD mice by downregulating the expression of LGMN, LAMP1, and PSAP proteins through the regulation of the lysosomal pathway. Transmission electron microscopy and network pharmacology prediction results showed a potential connection between the mechanism of ginsenoside Rg2 treatment for AD mice and lysosomes. The comprehensive results indicated that ginsenoside Rg2 may improve AD by downregulating LGMN, LAMP1, and PSAP through the regulation of the lysosomal pathway.

IMB-Guided Rehabilitation Nursing in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the application effect of IMB (Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills) model rehabilitation nursing, which focuses on enhancing patient knowledge, motivation, and skills for disease management in patients with diabetes and end-stage renal disease receiving maintenance hemodialysis and its impact on the patient's nutritional status. Methods: Eighty-four patients with diabetes and end-stage renal disease undergoing maintenance hemodialysis were selected as study subjects at our hospital. All patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups based on the nursing interventions received. The control group (n=42) received routine rehabilitation nursing intervention, while the observation group (n=42) received IMB-guided rehabilitation nursing intervention. The effects of nursing intervention, psychological conditions, nutritional status, and quality of life were evaluated using standardized measurement tools. Psychological conditions were assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Nutritional status was evaluated through measurements of albumin (ALB), body composition analysis (BBC), hemoglobin (Hb), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), arm circumference (A.C.), and arm muscle circumference (AMC). Quality of life was assessed using the SF-36 Health Survey. Comparative analysis was conducted to examine the differences between the two groups in terms of the aforementioned outcomes. Results: The results of the study revealed compelling data showcasing the effectiveness of the nursing intervention. Notably, after the nursing intervention, ALB (albumin) levels in the observation group increased by 12%, indicating a significant improvement in nutritional status. This increase signifies enhanced protein synthesis and improved overall metabolic functioning among the patients. Additionally, the SF-36 scores, reflecting the quality of life, demonstrated a substantial improvement of 15 points in the observation group following the nursing intervention. This improvement indicates a significant enhancement in various aspects of health-related quality of life, such as physical functioning, mental health, social functioning, and overall well-being. Furthermore, the total nursing effective rate in the observation group was an impressive 97.62%, surpassing the 80.95% rate in the control group. This statistically significant difference (P < .05) emphasizes the superior outcomes achieved through the nursing intervention in the observation group. Moreover, when comparing psychological conditions, the SAS scores in the observation group after the nursing intervention were significantly lower than those in the control group by 8 points (P < .05). Similarly, the SDS scores in the observation group showed a significant decrease of 10 points compared to the control group (P < .05). These findings indicate a substantial reduction in anxiety and depression levels among patients in the observation group. Conclusion: The findings of this study have significant implications for patient care and highlight potential areas for future research. The results suggest that integrating IMB-guided approaches into hemodialysis care protocols could significantly enhance patient well-being. The notable improvements in nutritional status, as indicated by the increase in ALB levels, and the substantial enhancement in quality of life, as reflected by the improvement in SF-36 scores, underscore the effectiveness of the nursing intervention. These findings have important implications for clinical practice, emphasizing the need for broader implementation of IMB-guided approaches in diverse clinical settings. By incorporating these interventions into routine hemodialysis care, healthcare providers can potentially improve patient outcomes and enhance their overall quality of life. Furthermore, these results also highlight potential areas for future research. Additional studies could explore the long-term effects of the nursing intervention on patient health outcomes, sustainability of the improvements observed, and the cost-effectiveness of implementing IMB-guided approaches in hemodialysis settings. Moreover, investigating the feasibility and efficacy of these interventions in different patient populations could further expand our understanding and inform tailored approaches for specific subgroups.

The effect of acupuncture on gastrointestinal recovery after abdominal surgery: a narrative review from clinical trials.

Abdominal surgery is a critical surgery, with more and more attention being paid to postoperative life quality and associated complications in recent years. Among these complications, postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction is the most common complication of abdominal surgery. Acupuncture therapy is a treatment approach based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, and its feasibility in aiding the gastrointestinal recovery after abdominal surgery is supported by both TCM theory and animal experiments. A lot of clinical research has been conducted to evaluate its efficacy, albeit with limitations and at preliminary stages. Moreover, intervention timing, acupoint selection, and patient benefits should also be considered in clinical practices. This article summarizes the progress of clinical research on acupuncture therapy in the gastrointestinal recovery after abdominal surgery, and discusses related issues and operations, with the aim to provide new insights and prospect for the incorporation of acupuncture into the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol.

Quantitative analysis of abdominal aortic blood flow by 99mTc-DTPA renal scintigraphy in patients with heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the characteristics of abdominal aortic blood flow in patients with heart failure (HF) using 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) renal scintigraphy. We investigated the ability of renal scintigraphy to measure the cardiopulmonary transit time and assessed whether the time-to-peak of the abdominal aorta (TTPa) can distinguish between individuals with and without HF. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study that included 304 and 37 patients with and without HF (controls), respectively. All participants underwent 99mTc-DTPA renal scintigraphy. The time to peak from the abdominal aorta's first-pass time-activity curve was noted and compared between the groups. The diagnostic significance of TTPa for HF was ascertained through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression. Factors influencing the TTPa were assessed using ordered logistic regression. RESULTS: The HF group displayed a significantly prolonged TTPa than controls (18.5 [14, 27] s vs. 11 [11, 13] s). Among the HF categories, HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) exhibited the longest TTPa compared with HF with mildly reduced (HFmrEF) and preserved EF (HFpEF) (25 [17, 36.5] s vs. 17 [15, 23] s vs. 15 [11, 17] s) (P < 0.001). The ROC analysis had an area under the curve of 0.831, which underscored TTPa's independent diagnostic relevance for HF. The diagnostic precision was enhanced as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) declined and HF worsened. Independent factors for TTPa included the left atrium diameter, LVEF, right atrium diameter, velocity of tricuspid regurgitation, and moderate to severe aortic regurgitation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on 99mTc-DTPA renal scintigraphy, TTPa may be used as a straightforward and non-invasive tool that can effectively distinguish patients with and without HF.

Disease Burden and Epidemiological Trends of Chronic Kidney Disease at the Global, Regional, National Levels from 1990 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious public health issue worldwide, but the disease burden of CKD caused by different etiologies and changing trends has not been fully examined. METHODS: We collected data from Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019), including incident cases, age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized DALY rate between 1990 and 2019 by region, etiology, age, and sex, and calculated the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of the rate to evaluate the epidemiological trends. RESULTS: Globally, incident cases of CKD increased from 7.80 million in 1990 to 18.99 million in 2019, and DALYs increased from 21.50 million to 41.54 million. ASIR increased with an EAPC of 0.69 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 0.49-0.89) and reached 233.65 per 100,000 in 2019, while the age-standardized DALY rate increased with an EAPC of 0.30 (95% UI 0.17-0.43) and reached 514.86 per 100,000. North Africa and the Middle East, central Latin America, and North America had the highest ASIR in 2019. Central Latin America had the highest age-standardized DALY rate, meanwhile. Almost all countries experienced an increase in ASIR, and over 50% of countries had an increasing trend in age-standardized DALY rate from 1990 to 2019. CKD due to diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension accounted for the largest disease burden with 85% incident cases and 66% DALYs in 2019 of known causes, with the highest growth in age-standardized DALY rate and a similar geographic pattern to that of total CKD. Besides, the highest incidence rate of total and four specific CKDs were identified in people aged 70 plus years, who also had the highest DALY rate with a stable trend after 2010. Females had a higher ASIR, while males had a higher age-standardized DALY rate, the gap of which was most distinctive in CKD due to hypertension. CONCLUSION: The disease burden of CKD remains substantial and continues to grow globally. From 1990 to 2019, global incident cases of CKD have more than doubled and DALYs have almost doubled, and surpassed 40 million years. CKD due to diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension contributed nearly 2/3 of DALYs in 2019 of known causes, and had witnessed the highest growth in age-standardized DALY rate. Etiology-specific prevention strategies should be placed as a high priority on the goal of precise control of CKD.

Direct White-Light Emitting From a Single Metal-Organic Framework with Dual Phosphorescence Peaks.

Single component white-light-emitting (SCWLE) materials are extremely desired in the field of solid-state lighting. However, pure-phosphorescent SCWLE has rarely been reported. Herein, one halogen-bonding-containing MOF [Cd(5-BIPA)(phen)] (1) has been synthesized, which shows efficient white-light emission originating from dual phosphorescence bands with different wavelengths and lifetimes. The fabrication of a phosphor-converted white-light-emitting diode device driven by pulsing current enables this MOF to be a promising phosphor.

Omnichannel integration strategy based on BOPS.

Technological innovation and the upgrading of consumer preferences have greatly accelerated the rapid development of the "new retail" omnichannel model. Meeting the personalized and seamless interactive experience expected by consumers requires integrating the advantages of both offline and online channels and expanding the integrated and intelligent omnichannel layout. This has emerged as a complex problem that the industry urgently needs to address. In order to tackle this issue, we conducted a study on a Buy-Online-and-Pick-up-in-Store (BOPS) pricing game between offline stores and e-commerce departments, considering factors such as match probability and network cost of return. Furthermore, we proposed the Buy-Online-and-Pick-up-in-Store-and-Return-Online (BORO) strategy and conducted an analysis on the variation in market share and revenue levels for both offline stores and e-commerce departments under this strategy. The results demonstrate that: (i) the omnichannel strategy of BOPS can increase the revenues of both offline stores and e-commerce departments only when the distance costs are moderate; (ii) the BORO strategy provides greater benefits to offline stores compared to e-commerce departments; and (iii) the effectiveness of the BORO strategy is influenced by factors such as match probability, distance cost, and product return. This research not only provides a theoretical foundation but also practical insights for the strategic channel management of omnichannel brand merchants.

Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Protein-Coding Variants in IgA Nephropathy.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Genome-wide association studies have identified nearly 20 IgA nephropathy susceptibility loci. However, most nonsynonymous coding variants, particularly ones that occur rarely or at a low frequency, have not been well investigated. The authors performed a chip-based association study of IgA nephropathy in 8529 patients with the disorder and 23,224 controls. They identified a rare variant in the gene encoding vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) that was significantly associated with a two-fold increased risk of IgA nephropathy, which was further confirmed by sequencing analysis. They also identified a novel common variant in PKD1L3 that was significantly associated with lower haptoglobin protein levels. This study, which was well-powered to detect low-frequency variants with moderate to large effect sizes, helps expand our understanding of the genetic basis of IgA nephropathy susceptibility. BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies have identified nearly 20 susceptibility loci for IgA nephropathy. However, most nonsynonymous coding variants, particularly those occurring rarely or at a low frequency, have not been well investigated. METHODS: We performed a three-stage exome chip-based association study of coding variants in 8529 patients with IgA nephropathy and 23,224 controls, all of Han Chinese ancestry. Sequencing analysis was conducted to investigate rare coding variants that were not covered by the exome chip. We used molecular dynamic simulation to characterize the effects of mutations of VEGFA on the protein's structure and function. We also explored the relationship between the identified variants and the risk of disease progression. RESULTS: We discovered a novel rare nonsynonymous risk variant in VEGFA (odds ratio, 1.97; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.61 to 2.41; P = 3.61×10 -11 ). Further sequencing of VEGFA revealed twice as many carriers of other rare variants in 2148 cases compared with 2732 controls. We also identified a common nonsynonymous risk variant in PKD1L3 (odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.21; P = 1.43×10 -11 ), which was associated with lower haptoglobin protein levels. The rare VEGFA mutation could cause a conformational change and increase the binding affinity of VEGFA to its receptors. Furthermore, this variant was associated with the increased risk of kidney disease progression in IgA nephropathy (hazard ratio, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.09 to 8.21; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified two novel risk variants for IgA nephropathy in VEGFA and PKD1L3 and helps expand our understanding of the genetic basis of IgA nephropathy susceptibility.

The RPT2a-MET1 axis regulates TERMINAL FLOWER1 to control inflorescence meristem indeterminacy in Arabidopsis.

Plant inflorescence architecture is determined by inflorescence meristem (IM) activity and controlled by genetic mechanisms associated with environmental factors. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) is expressed in the IM and is required to maintain indeterminate growth, whereas LEAFY (LFY) is expressed in the floral meristems (FMs) formed at the periphery of the IM and is required to activate determinate floral development. Here, we address how Arabidopsis indeterminate inflorescence growth is determined. We show that the 26S proteasome subunit REGULATORY PARTICLE AAA-ATPASE 2a (RPT2a) is required to maintain the indeterminate inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis. rpt2a mutants display reduced TFL1 expression levels and ectopic LFY expression in the IM and develop a determinate zigzag-shaped inflorescence. We further found that RPT2a promotes DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE1 degradation, leading to DNA hypomethylation upstream of TFL1 and high TFL1 expression levels in the wild-type IM. Overall, our work reveals that proteolytic input into the epigenetic regulation of TFL1 expression directs inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis, adding an additional layer to stem cell regulation.

Fast photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B using indium-porphyrin based cationic MOF under visible light irradiation.

A broad light-harvesting range and efficient charge separation are two main ways to enhance the visible photocatalytic performance of semiconductors. Herein, an ionic porphyrin MOF [In(TPyP)]·(NO3) (1) (TPyP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphyrin) was synthesized via in situ metalation. The orderly arranged porphyrin photosensitizer and the internal electric field between the MOF host and NO3- guests enable effective visible light response and electron-hole separation. Consequently, the as-synthesized MOF shows efficient photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) organic pollutants. It can degrade 99.07% of RhB within only 20 minutes under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm) with a high chemical reaction rate constant of 0.2400 min-1. The photocatalytic activity of the title MOF is more efficient than those of other reported MOFs, COFs and even inorganic semiconductors. The reusability, energy level, band gap, charge distribution and main degradation mechanisms of the photocatalyst were well studied.

Ginsenoside Rk1 inhibits HeLa cell proliferation through an endoplasmic reticulum signaling pathway.

Background: Changes to work-life balance has increased the incidence of cervical cancer among younger people. A minor ginseng saponin known as ginsenoside Rk1 can inhibit the growth and survival of human cancer cells; however, whether ginsenoside Rk1 inhibits HeLa cell proliferation is unknown. Methods and results: Ginsenoside Rk1 blocked HeLa cells in the G0/G1 phase in a dose-dependent manner and inhibited cell division and proliferation. Ginsenoside Rk1 markedly also activated the apoptotic signaling pathway via caspase 3, PARP, and caspase 6. In addition, ginsenoside Rk1 increased LC3B protein expression, indicating the promotion of the autophagy signaling pathway. Protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum signaling pathway was downregulated in Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses, consistent with teal-time quantitative PCR and western blotting that showed YOD1, HSPA4L, DNAJC3, and HSP90AA1 expression levels were dramatically decreased in HeLa cells treated with ginsenoside Rk1, with YOD1 was the most significantly inhibited by ginsenoside Rk1 treatment. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the toxicity of ginsenoside Rk1 in HeLa cells can be explained by the inhibition of protein synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum and enhanced apoptosis, with YOD1 acting as a potential target for cervical cancer treatment.

U-type π-conjugated phosphorescent ligand sensitized lanthanide metal-organic frameworks for efficient white-light-emitting diodes.

Lanthanide metal-organic framework (Ln-MOF) based phosphors for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) play an important role in the fields of solid-state lighting and display. The rational design of organic antennae to address the drawback of low extinction coefficients of the lanthanide ions is highly desired. In this work, we provide a new design strategy to achieve an energy transfer molecule with a through-space conjugated folded structure, which can strengthen the skeleton rigidity and facilitate triplet state energy transfer. Consequently, one U-type π-conjugated molecule 2,6-bis(3,5-dicarboxylphenoxy) pyridine (H4L) was selected as a light gatherer to sensitize lanthanide ions for the construction of Ln-MOFs [Ln(HL)(H2O)3]n (Eu-MOF and Tb-MOF), which exhibit a long-lived luminescence lifetime (0.88 ms for Eu-MOF and 1.31 ms for Tb-MOF) and high quantum yields (50.87% for Eu-MOF and 85.64% for Tb-MOF). Furthermore, a white LED device with a colour rendering index (89) was fabricated using the mixture of Ln-MOFs with a commercial blue phosphor.

Research progress on molecular biomarkers of acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of adult acute leukemia. The pathophysiology of the disease has been studied intensively at the cellular and molecular levels. At present, cytogenetic markers are an important basis for the early diagnosis, prognostic stratification and treatment of AML. However, with the emergence of new technologies, the detection of other molecular markers, such as gene mutations and epigenetic changes, began to play important roles in evaluating the occurrence and development of diseases. Recent evidence shows that identifying new AML biomarkers contributes to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of the disease and is essential for AML screening, diagnosis, prognosis monitoring, and individualized treatment response. In this review, we summarized the promising AML biomarkers from four aspects, which contributing to a better understanding of the disease. Of course, it must be soberly aware that we have not listed all biomarkers of AML. Anyway, the biomarkers we mentioned are representative. For example, mutations in TP53, FLT3, and ASXL1 suggest poor prognosis, low remission rate, short survival period, and often require allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The CEBPA double mutation, NPM1 and CBF mutation suggest that the prognosis is good, the remission rate is high, the survival period is long, and the effect of chemotherapy or autotherapy is good. As for other mutations mentioned in the article, they usually predict a moderate prognosis. All in all, we hope it could provide a reference for the precise diagnosis and treatment of AML.

Ultra-fast Piezocatalysts Enabled By Interfacial Interaction of Reduced Graphene Oxide/MoS2 Heterostructures.

The catalytic activity has been investigated in 2D materials, and the unique structural and electronic properties contribute to their success in conventional heterogeneous catalysis. Heterojunction-based piezocatalysis has attracted increasing attention due to the band-structure engineering and the enhanced charge carrier separation by prominent piezoelectric effect. However, the piezocatalytic behavior of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures is still unknown, and the finite active sites, catalyst poisoning, and poor conductivity are challenges for developing good piezocatalysts. Herein, a reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-MoS2 heterostructure is rationally designed to tackle these challenges. The heterostructure shows a record-high piezocatalytic degradation rate of 1.40 × 102 L mol-1 s-1 , which is 7.86 times higher than MoS2 nanosheets. Piezoresponse force microscope measurements and density functional theory calculation reveal that the coupling between semiconductive and piezoelectric properties in the vdW heterojunction is vital to break the metallic state screening effect at the MoS2 edge for keeping the piezoelectric potential. The dynamic charges generated by MoS2 and the fast charge transfer in rGO activate and maintain catalytically active sites for pollutant degradation with an ultra-fast rate and good stability. The working mechanism opens new avenues for developing efficient catalysts significant to wastewater treatments and other applications.

The role of ferroptosis in chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced cognitive impairment.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that may lead to cognitive impairment. The primary pathophysiological feature of OSA is chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), but the underlying mechanisms of CIH are not known. There have been few studies on the role of ferroptosis, a novel form of programmed cell death, during CIH-induced cognitive impairment. Therefore, this paper examined ferroptosis' effect on CIH-mediated cognitive impairment. METHODS: The study randomized twenty-four Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats to control or CIH group. CIH rats were subjected to intermittent hypoxia for 4 weeks. Rat learning and memory were analyzed by the Morris water maze (MWM) test. Alterations of hippocampal neuronal ultrastructure were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Malondialdehyde (MDA) and ferrous iron (Fe2+) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) contents were determined. Ferroptosis-associated protein levels were examined by Western blotting. RESULTS: The MWM test indicated that rats in the CIH group exhibited neurocognitive impairment. TEM showed that CIH induced mitochondrial damage. Significant increases in Fe2+ and MDA levels were observed in the CIH group, and GSH and SOD levels were decreased. Expression of Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) increased, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) protein levels were decreased, suggesting that ferroptosis was induced in CIH model rats. The NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein level in the CIH group was decreased. CONCLUSION: Ferroptosis had an essential effect on CIH-mediated cognitive impairment, and it may occur via Nrf2 dysregulation. These findings lay a solid foundation for the subsequent study of OSA-associated cognitive impairment offering potential evidence for the development of therapeutic strategies.

Candidate metabolite markers of peripheral neuropathy in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the serum and urine metabolites present in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and T2DM patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and to select differentially expressed biomarkers for early diagnosis of DPN. METHODS: Serum and urine metabolites from 74 T2DM patients with peripheral neuropathy and 41 without peripheral neuropathy were analyzed using gas chromatograph system with time-of-flight mass spectrometer metabolomics to detect biomarkers of peripheral neuropathy in T2DM. RESULTS: There were increased serum triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, and decreased C-peptide, and total cholesterol levels in T2DM patients with DPN compared to those without peripheral neuropathy. Metabolomic analysis revealed visible differences in metabolic characteristics between two groups, and overall 53 serum differential metabolites and 56 urine differential metabolites were identified with variable influence on projection (VIP) >1 and P<0.05. To further analyze the correlation between the identified metabolites and DPN, four serum metabolites and six urine metabolites were selected with VIP>2, and fold change (FC) >1, including serum ß-alanine, caproic acid, ß-alanine/L-aspartic acid, and L-arabinose/L-arabitol, and urine gluconic acid, erythritol, galactonic acid, guanidoacetic acid, cytidine, and aminoadipic acid. Furthermore, five serum biomarkers and six urine biomarkers were found to show significant changes (P<0.05, VIP>1, and FC>1) respectively in patients with mild, moderate, and severe DPN. In addition, we found that glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism was a differential metabolic pathway not only between T2DM and DPN, but also among different degrees of DPN. The differential metabolites such as ß-alanine and caproic acid are expected to be biomarkers for DPN patients, and the significant changes in glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism may be related to the pathogenesis of DPN. CONCLUSION: There were serum and urine spectrum metabolomic differences in patients with DPN, which could serve as biomarkers for T2DM and DPN patients.

Recommending Crowdfunding Project: A Graph Kernel-Based Link Prediction Method for Extremely Sparse Implicit Feedback.

It is a critical task to provide recommendation on implicit feedback, and one of the biggest challenges is extreme data sparsity. To tackle the problem, a graph kernel-based link prediction method is proposed in this paper for recommending crowdfunding projects combining graph computing with collaborative filtering. First of all, an investor-project bipartite graph is established based on transaction histories. Then, a random walk graph kernel is constructed and computed, and a one-class SVM classifier is built for link prediction based on implicit feedback. At last, top N recommendations are made according to the ranking of investor-project pairs. Comparative experiments are conducted and the results show that the proposed method achieves the best performance on extremely sparse implicit feedback and outperforms baselines. This paper is of help to improve the success rate of crowdfunding by personalized recommendation and is of significance to enrich the research in recommendation systems.

Privacy Risk Perception of Online Medical Community Users Based on Deep Neural Network.

This paper studies the privacy risk perception of online medical community users based on deep neural network. Firstly, this paper introduces privacy protection based on deep neural network and users' privacy risk perception in online medical community. Then, using the fuzzy neural network to deal with highly complex and nonlinear data, we can better obtain the accurate evaluation value, and use the improved gravity search optimization algorithm to optimize the fuzzy neural network evaluation model and improve the convergence puzzle of the model. Finally, using the experimental method of questionnaire survey, and the questionnaire is composed of three parts. The first part investigates the basic personal information of the subjects, including gender, age, educational background, physical condition, physical examination frequency, Internet use experience, long-term residence, etc.; The second part is the measurement items of each variable in the theoretical model, including nine variables: service quality, personalized service, reciprocal norms, result expectation, material reward, perceived risk, trust in doctors, trust in websites, and willingness to disclose health privacy information. The experimental results show that the correlation coefficient between the interaction items of personalized service and reciprocal norms on material reward is positive (ß = 0.072, P < 0.01), and the correlation coefficient between sexual service and material reward was positive (ß = 0.202, P < 0.01), then reciprocal norms positively regulate the relationship between personalized service and material reward.

Characteristics of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with TiO2 Stripes.

A TiO2 strip array with a thickness of 90 nm was fabricated by photolithography and physical vapor deposition. This work utilized the chemical and physical methods to fabricate the TiO2 strip array. A porous semiconductor layer made of TiO2 nanoparticles was coated on the TiO2 strip array. The TiO2 strip array has a one-dimensional protrusive structure. The energy conversion efficiency (4.38%) of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with the TiO2 strip array exceeded that (3.20%) of a DSSC without a TiO2 strip array by 37%. In addition, this result was verified by the electrochemical impedance spectra of the two DSSCs. Therefore, the TiO2 strip array can be used to increase the energy conversion efficiencies of DSSCs. The large energy conversion efficiency of the DSSC with the TiO2 strip array arises from the large surface area of the one-dimensional protrusive structure and its specific electron transport paths. The DSSC with the TiO2 strip array has advantages of economical production cost, easy fabrication, and boosting energy conversion efficiency.