Strategic deployment in the deep: Principled underwater sensor placement optimization with three-dimensional acoustic map.

Underwater acoustic sensors are vital for monitoring marine environments and detecting targets, but their optimal placement presents challenges, particularly in deep-sea environments. This paper addresses the question of determining the optimal sensor placement in a specific ocean region through a principled optimization approach. While previous studies mainly utilized heuristic algorithms without exploiting problem-specific structures, this work explores leveraging the complex three-dimensional acoustic environment through principled modeling and tailored optimization. Specifically, intricate three-dimensional multi-directional acoustic maps are constructed for each sensor. Based on these maps, the sensor placement problem is then cast as an integer linear programming, allowing the study to leverage established theoretical results from operations research. Additionally, an alternative algorithm with its performance indicator is presented to find near-optimal solutions efficiently and can empirically reach over 99% coverage of the optimal solution. Experimental results using real-life data from the South China Sea demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in achieving much larger detection coverage compared to random and empirical strategies. Notably, the alternative fast algorithm approaches the optimal solution in significantly less time. Furthermore, experiments show that any further simplification of this approach leads to the performance degradation.

Widowhood Shock, Family Reconstruction, and Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), especially among widowed older adults, is increasingly urging public concern. This study aimed to investigate the association of widowhood, remarriage, and widowed life characteristics with the MCI risk among Chinese older adults. With an average age of 86.49 ± 10.20, a sample of 5377 participants aged between 65 and 116 was collected from four waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey between 2008 and 2018. Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline models were employed to estimate and plot the associations. Results showed that widowhood is associated with an increasing MCI risk, which could not be alleviated by remarriage. This negative impact was pronounced among women and those at older age. The association of living alone duration after widowhood and MCI onset displayed an inverse U-shape, with a peak risk at the 10th year. These findings have practical implications for pointing out the most vulnerable groups to MCI.

METTL3-mediated m6A modification enhances lncRNA H19 stability to promote endothelial cell inflammation and pyroptosis to aggravate atherosclerosis.

This study explored the impact of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification on the regulation of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and atherosclerosis progression. An atherosclerosis cell model was established by treating human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) with oxidized low-density lipoprotein. Additionally, an atherosclerotic animal model was developed using ApoE-/- C57BL/6 male mice fed a high-fat diet. Both models were employed to assess the expression changes of proteins associated with m6A modification. First, the effect of m6A modification writer protein methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) knockdown on changes in the level of pyroptosis in HAECs was investigated, and bioinformatic analysis confirmed that lncRNA H19 (H19) was the potential target of m6A modification. RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation assays were subsequently performed to explore the interaction between H19 and the m6A writer protein METTL3, as well as the reader protein recombinant insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2). Finally, the effect of H19 expression on pyroptosis levels in HAECs was evaluated. In the aortas of atherosclerosis mice, overall m6A levels were significantly elevated compared with controls (p < .05), with METTL3 and METTL14 mRNA and protein levels notably increased (p < .05). Similarly, ox-LDL-treated HAECs showed a significant rise in m6A levels, along with increased METTL3 and METTL14 expression (p < .05). METTL3 knockdown in HAECs led to decreased pyroptosis, as evidenced by reduced lactate dehydrogenase release and lower levels of IL-1ß, IL-18, and IL-6 (p < .05). Overexpression of H19 reversed these effects, indicating METTL3's role in promoting atherosclerosis by stabilizing H19 through m6A modification. H19 was the primary target lncRNA molecule of METTL3-mediated m6A modification in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. METTL3-mediated m6A modification regulated H19 expression, thereby aggravating atherosclerosis by activating pyroptosis.

Evaluating multi-channel interaction design for enhancing Pose accuracy in yoga training among visually impaired individuals.

Aim: Physical exercise is essential for the physical and mental health of visually impaired people, but they often face challenges such as inaccurate movements, lack of rhythm and difficulty in mastering postures during exercise. This project introduces an assistive device based on a multi-channel interaction design strategy to improve the accuracy of yoga practice for the visually impaired and to enable their independent exercise.Methods: The system uses a 1:1 model combined with an output interaction model. The effectiveness was verified through controlled experiments with unassisted exercise as the control group and yoga-assisted exercise as the experimental group. Improvements in yoga accuracy and product usability were verified using the Assisted Accuracy Scale and the SUS Scale, respectively.Results: The results showed that the multi-channel interaction design significantly improved the accuracy and usability of yoga exercises and enhanced the ability of visually impaired people to exercise independently.Conclusion: Through this project, we hope to replicate this design strategy to help more visually impaired individuals independently perform effective physical exercise at home, in a gym, or in an outdoor space, thereby improving their quality of life and overall health.

A yoga assistive device called E-YOGA, which improves the accuracy of yoga for the visually impaired through augmented interactive technology, thereby enhancing the ability of the visually impaired to exercise on their own.By participating in sports activities, visually impaired people can improve their health, living ability, body system and organ function.Regular physical activity is essential for visually impaired people, not only to build strength and endurance, but also for simple daily activities that require a lot of energy.

H19 lncRNA triggers ferroptosis, exacerbating ox-LDL-induced artery endothelial cell damage in vitro.

BACKGROUND: The precise association between lncRNA H19 and ferroptosis in the context of atherosclerosis remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: This study is to clarify the underlying process and propose novel approaches for the advancement of therapeutic interventions targeting atherosclerosis. METHODS: Assessment of ferroptosis, which entails the evaluation of cell viability using CCK-8 and the quantification of intracellular MDA, GSH, and ferrous ions. Simultaneously, the protein expression levels of assessed by western blot analysis, while the expression level of lncRNA H19 was also determined. Furthermore, HAECs that were cultured with ox-LDL were subjected to Fer-1 interference. HAECs were exposed to ox-LDL and then transfected with H19 shRNA and H19 overexpression vector pcDNA3.1. The level of ferroptosis in the cells was then measured. Then, HAECs were subjected to incubation with ox-LDL, followed by transfection with H19 shRNA and treated with Erastin to assess the levels of ferroptosis, cell viability, and inflammatory factor production. and the ability for blood vessel development. RESULTS: The survival rate of HAECs in the ox-LDL group was much lower. Ox-LDL resulted in an upregulation of ACSL4 expression in HAECs, while the expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 decreased. CONCLUSIONS: lncRNA H19 enhances ferroptosis and exacerbates arterial endothelial cell damage induced by LDL.

Optimized extraction, enrichment, identification and hypoglycemic effects of triterpenoid acids from Hippophae rhamnoides L pomace.

The Hippophae rhamnoides L. pomace was generated in the production process for juice, wine of food industry. To expand the application of pomace, the extraction process optimization, enrichment and identification of triterpene acids were performed in this study. The extraction yield was 14.87% under optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction techniques performed via response surface methodology. The extract was subsequently purified to obtain the triterpenoid acid enrichment fraction (TPF) with the content of 75.23% ± 1.45%. 13 triterpenoid acids were identified via UPLC-Triple-TOF MS/MS and further semi-quantified through comparison with triterpenoid acid standards. TPF exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase with IC50 value of 5.027 ± 0.375 µg/mL, as determined via enzyme inhibition experiment and molecular docking. Additionally, the TPF significantly reduced postprandial glucose levels, as revealed via carbohydrate tolerance tests, as well as ameliorate serum lipid profiles. Therefore, pomace may be a promising resource of functional food components with therapeutic and commercial values.

MEMS Gyroscope Temperature Compensation Based on Improved Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Optimized Extreme Learning Machine.

Herein, we investigate the temperature compensation for a dual-mass MEMS gyroscope. After introducing and simulating the dual-mass MEMS gyroscope's working modes, we propose a hybrid algorithm for temperature compensation relying on improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMDAN), sample entropy, time-frequency peak filtering, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA II) and extreme learning machine. Firstly, we use ICEEMDAN to decompose the gyroscope's output signal, and then we use sample entropy to classify the decomposed signals. For noise segments and mixed segments with different levels of noise, we use time-frequency peak filtering with different window lengths to achieve a trade-off between noise removal and signal retention. For the feature segment with temperature drift, we build a compensation model using extreme learning machine. To improve the compensation accuracy, NSGA II is used to optimize extreme learning machine, with the prediction error and the 2-norm of the output-layer connection weight as the optimization objectives. Enormous simulation experiments prove the excellent performance of our proposed scheme, which can achieve trade-offs in signal decomposition, classification, denoising and compensation. The improvement in the compensated gyroscope's output signal is analyzed based on Allen variance; its angle random walk is decreased from 0.531076°/h/√Hz to 6.65894 × 10-3°/h/√Hz and its bias stability is decreased from 32.7364°/h to 0.259247°/h.

Metal-organic frameworks as solid-phase microextraction adsorbents for the determination of triacetone triperoxide by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) is a high-power explosive which is often used by criminals. The detection of TATP is of great significance for solving the explosion cases. However, the preconcentration and analysis of trace levels of TATP still pose challenges for analytical researchers. In this study, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), including IRMOF-8, MOF-5, UIO-66, ZIF-8, and MIL-101(Cr), were immobilized on a stainless steel wire using a physical adhesive method as a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating. The prepared fibers with a controllable thickness were used for the extraction of TATP followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Under the identical experimental conditions, the IRMOF-8-coated fiber exhibited higher extraction efficiency for TATP than the other fibers. The IRMOF-8-coated fiber was then characterized using scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicated that the IRMOF-8-coated fiber not only had good thermal and chemical stabilities but also afforded a high TATP extraction efficiency. Under the same extraction conditions, the extraction efficiency of the IRMOF-8-coated fiber was 2-8 times higher than those of commercial fibers. The limit of detection was 13 ng/mL, and linearity was observed in the range of 50-5000 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.998. The intraday repeatability (n = 6), interday repeatability (n = 3), and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (n = 3), were 4.1 %, 4.8 %, and 8.0 %, respectively. The recoveries of TATP from the simulated tap water and soil samples were 87.32-90.57 % and 88.76-100.93 %, respectively, with relative standard deviations lower than 11.11 % (n = 3). The above method was successfully applied for the detection of TATP transferred from a finger to a paper surface, demonstrating its good application prospects in the analysis of trace TATP.

Rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective and diastereodivergent access to diaxially chiral heterocycles.

N-N axially chiral biaryls represent a rarely explored class of atropisomers. Reported herein is construction of diverse classes of diaxially chiral biaryls containing N-N and C-N/C-C diaxes in distal positions in excellent enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. The N-N chiral axis in the products provides a handle toward solvent-driven diastereodivergence, as has been realized in the coupling of a large scope of benzamides and sterically hindered alkynes, affording diaxes in complementary diastereoselectivity. The diastereodivergence has been elucidated by computational studies which revealed that the hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) solvent molecule participated in an unusual manner as a solvent as well as a ligand and switched the sequence of two competing elementary steps, resulting in switch of the stereoselectivity of the alkyne insertion and inversion of the configuration of the C-C axis. Further cleavage of the N-directing group in the diaxial chiral products transforms the diastereodivergence to enantiodivergence.

Rhodium-catalyzed annulative approach to N-N axially chiral biaryls via C-H activation and dynamic kinetic transformation.

N-N axially chiral biaryls represent a rarely explored class of atropisomeric compounds. We hereby report rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective [4 + 2] oxidative annulation of internal alkynes with benzamides bearing two classes of N-N directing groups. The coupling occurs under mild conditions via NH and CH annulation through the dynamic kinetic transformation of the directing group and is highly enantioselective with good functional tolerance. Computational studies of a coupling system at the DFT level has been conducted, and the alkyne insertion was identified as the enantio-determining as well as the turnover-limiting step.

Rhodium-catalyzed atroposelective access to trisubstituted olefins via C-H bond olefination of diverse arenes.

The atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral acyclic olefins remains a daunting challenge due to their relatively lower racemization barriers, especially for trisubstituted ones. In this work, atroposelective C-H olefination has been realized for synthesis of open-chain trisubstituted olefins via C-H activation of two classes of (hetero)arenes in the coupling with sterically hindered alkynes. The employment of phenyl N-methoxycarbamates as arene reagents afforded phenol-tethered olefins, with the carbamate being a traceless directing group. The olefination of N-methoxy-2-indolylcarboxamides afforded the corresponding chiral olefin by circumventing the redox-neutral [4 + 2] annulation. The reactions proceeded with excellent Z/E selectivity, chemoselectivity, regioselectivity, and enantioselectivity in both hydroarylation systems.

[Applications of functional materials-based solid phase microextraction technique in forensic science].

Sample extraction is a crucial step in forensic analysis, especially when dealing with trace and ultra-trace levels of target analytes present in various complex matrices (e. g., soil, biological samples, and fire debris). Conventional sample preparation techniques include Soxhlet extraction and liquid-liquid extraction. However, these techniques are tedious, time-consuming, labor-intensive and require large amounts of solvents, which poses a threat to the environment and health of researchers. Moreover, sample loss and secondary pollution can easily occur during the preparation procedure. Conversely, the solid phase microextraction (SPME) technique either requires a small amount of solvent or no solvent at all. Its small and portable size, simple and fast operation, easy-to-realize automation, and other characteristics thus make it a widely used sample pretreatment technique. More attention was given to the preparation of SPME coatings by using various functional materials, as commercialized SPME devices used in early studies were expensive, fragile, and lacked selectivity. Examples of those functional materials include metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, carbon-based materials, molecularly imprinted polymers, ionic liquids, and conducting polymers, all widely used in environmental monitoring, food analysis, and drug detection. However, these SPME coating materials have relatively few applications in forensics. Given the high potential of SPME technology for the in situ and efficient extraction of samples from crime scenes, this study briefly introduces functional coating materials and summarizes the applications of SPME coating materials for the analysis of explosives, ignitable liquids, illicit drugs, poisons, paints, and human odors. Compared to commercial coatings, functional material-based SPME coatings exhibit higher selectivity, sensitivity, and stability. These advantages are mainly achieved through the following approaches: First, the selectivity can be improved by increasing the π-π, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions between the materials and analytes. Second, the sensitivity can be improved by using porous materials or by increasing their porosity. Third, thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability can be improved by using robust materials or fixing the chemical bonding between the coating and substrate. In addition, composite materials with multiple advantages are gradually replacing the single materials. In terms of the substrate, the silica support was gradually replaced by the metal support. This study also outlines the existing shortcomings in forensic science analysis of functional material-based SPME techniques. First, the application of functional material-based SPME techniques in forensic science remains limited. On one hand, the analytes are narrow in scope. As far as explosive analysis is concerned, functional material-based SPME coatings are mainly applied to nitrobenzene explosives, while other categories, such as nitroamine and peroxides, are rarely or never involved. Research and development of coatings is insufficient and the application of COFs in forensic science has not yet been reported. Second, functional material-based SPME coatings have not been commercialized as they don't yet have inter-laboratory validation tests or established official standard analytical methods. Therefore, some suggestions are proposed for the future development of forensic science analyses of functional material-based SPME coatings. First, research and development of functional material-based SPME coatings, especially fiber coatings with broad-spectrum applicability and high sensitivity, or outstanding selectivity for some compounds, is still an important direction for SPME future research. Second, a theoretical calculation of the binding energy between the analyte and coating was introduced to guide the design of functional coatings and improve the screening efficiency of new coatings. Third, we expand its application in forensic science by expanding the number of analytes. Fourth, we focused on the promotion of functional material-based SPME coatings in conventional laboratories and established performance evaluation protocols for the commercialization of functional material-based SPME coatings. This study is expected to serve as a reference for peers engaged in related research.

Characteristics, prognostic determinants of monocytes, macrophages and T cells in acute coronary syndrome: protocol for a multicenter, prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndrome(ACS) is the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Immune response has been confirmed to play a vital role in the occurrence and development of ACS. The objective of this prospective, multicenter, observational study is to define immune response and their relationship to the occurrence and progressive of ACS. METHODS: This is a multicenter, prospective, observational longitudinal cohort study. The primary outcome is the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including in-stent restenosis, severe ventricular arrhythmia, heart failure, recurrent angina pectoris, and sudden cardiac death, and stroke one year later after ACS. Demographic characteristics, clinical data, treatments, and outcomes are collected by local investigators. Furthermore, freshly processed samples will be stained and assessed by flow cytometry. The expression of S100A4, CD47, SIRPα and Tim-3 on monocytes, macrophages and T cells in ACS patients were collected. FOLLOW-UP: during hospitalization, 3, 6 and 12 months after discharge. DISCUSSION: It is expected that this study will reveal the possible targets to improve the prognosis or prevent from occurrence of MACE in ACS patients. Since it's a multicenter study, the enrollment rate of participants will be accelerated and it can ensure that the collected data are more symbolic and improve the richness and credibility of the test basis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center. Ethical approval was obtained from the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University. The dissemination will occur through the publication of articles in international peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2200066382.

Prevalence of taste and smell dysfunction in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients during Omicron prevalent period in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional survey study.

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19, which is caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a severe threat to human health and the economy globally. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of taste and/or smell dysfunction and associated risk factors in mild and asymptomatic patients with Omicron infection in Shanghai, China.DesignThis was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: COVID-19 patients at the makeshift hospital in the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre were recruited from March to April 2022. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 686 COVID-19-infected patients who were defined as mild or asymptomatic cases according to the diagnostic criteria of New Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Programme ninth edition (National Health Commission of China, 2022) were enrolled. MEASURES: Data to investigate taste and smell loss and to characterise other symptoms were collected by the modified Chemotherapy-induced Taste Alteration Scale and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 questionnaires. The risk factors for the severity of taste/smell dysfunction were analysed by binary logistic regression models. RESULTS: 379 males (379/686, 55.2%) and 307 females (307/686, 44.8%) completed the questionnaires to record recent changes in taste and smell ability. A total of 302 patients (44%) had chemosensory dysfunction with Omicron infection, of which 22.7% (156/686) suffered from both taste and smell dysfunction. In addition, cough (60.2%), expectoration (40.5%), fever (33.2%) and sore throat (32.5%) were common symptoms during Omicron infection. The quality-of-life-related indicators were negatively associated with participants' self-reported taste and smell dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of taste or/and smell dysfunction in patients with Omicron infections was 44%. Individuals with chemosensory dysfunction had significantly higher rates of various upper respiratory influenza-like symptoms, xerostomia and bad breath. Moreover, smell dysfunction was a risk factor for the prevalence of taste dysfunction in patients with Omicron infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR 2200059097.

Osteomodulin protects dental pulp stem cells from cisplatin-induced apoptosis in vitro.

Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are considered promising multipotent cell sources for tissue regeneration. Regulation of apoptosis and maintaining the cell homeostasis is a critical point for the application of hDPSCs. Osteomodulin (OMD), a member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan family, was proved an important regulatory protein of hDPSCs in our previous research. Thus, the role of OMD in the apoptosis of hDPSCs was explored in this study. The expression of OMD following apoptotic induction was investigated and then the hDPSCs stably overexpressing or knocking down OMD were established by lentiviral transfection. The proportion of apoptotic cells and apoptosis-relative genes and proteins were examined with flow cytometry, Hoechst staining, Caspase 3 activity assay, qRT-PCR and western blotting. RNA-Seq analysis was used to explore possible biological function and mechanism. Results showed that the expression of OMD decreased following the apoptotic induction. Overexpression of OMD enhanced the viability of hDPSCs, decreased the activity of Caspase-3 and protected hDPSCs from apoptosis. Knockdown of OMD showed the opposite results. Mechanistically, OMD may act as a negative modulator of apoptosis via activation of the Akt/Glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK-3ß)/ß-Catenin signaling pathway and more functional and mechanistic possibilities were revealed with RNA-Seq analysis. The present study provided evidence of OMD as a negative regulator of apoptosis in hDPSCs. Akt/GSK-3ß/ß-Catenin signaling pathway was involved in this process and more possible mechanism detected needed further exploration. This anti-apoptotic function of OMD provided a promising application prospect for hDPSCs in tissue regeneration.

Rapid Isolation and Hypoglycemic Activity of Secondary Metabolites of Eurotium cristatum by High-Speed Countercurrent Chromatography.

In this study, secondary metabolites of Eurotium cristatum were isolated and purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC), and their hypoglycemic activities were studied. The general-useful estimate of solvent systems (GUESS) for counter-current chromatography was employed to select the appropriate solvent systems of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (HEMW, 4:6:5:5, v/v/v/v) for HSCCC practice, and three compounds were separated from the crude ethyl acetate extract of E. cristatum in one single step; 6.1 mg of Compounds 1, 5.6 mg of Compound 2 and 3.8 mg of Compound 3 were obtained from 100 mg of crude extract with a stationary phase retention of 75%. The compounds were then identified as emodin methyl ether, chrysophanol and emodin, respectively. The activity of the target compounds in the secondary metabolites of E. cristatum was verified by testing their inhibition on α-glucosidase activity and molecular docking simulation. The results showed that emodin, chrysophanol and emodin methyl ether had significant inhibitory effects on the α-glucosidase activity. This work confirmed the effectiveness of HSCCC in the separation of compounds in complex extracts and provided reference for further research and application of E. cristatum.

Environmental exposure to organophosphate esters and suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among US adults: A mixture analysis.

Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. We evaluated NAFLD using the US FLI to determine whether there is an association between urinary organophosphorus (OPE) levels and the "prevalence" of NAFLD in US individuals. Methods: The current study included 1,102 people aged 20 years and older with information from the 2011-2014 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. NAFLD was assessed using the U.S. FLI. Individual OPE metabolites and OPE combinations were linked to NAFLD using logistic regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. All analyzes were carried out separately on males and females. The possible impacts of age, serum total testosterone (TT), and menopausal state, as well as the importance of the interaction term with exposure, were investigated using stratified analysis. Results: Bis (2-chloroethyl) phosphate and bis (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate were associated with NAFLD in all males after adjusting for covariates (P < 0.05). A combination of OPEs (OPE index) was positively linked with NAFLD in the WQS analysis of all males (odds ratio for OPE index: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.19). Stratified analyzes for males revealed that considerable connections were largely confined to individuals over 60 years old or with low total testosterone. In women, the connection was limited and inconsistent, except for the OPE index, which was positively linked with NAFLD in post-menopausal women. Conclusions: In this study, environmental exposure to OPE was linked to an elevated risk of NAFLD in males, particularly those over 60 years old or with low TT levels. Aside from the continuous positive connection of a combination of OPEs with NAFLD risk in post-menopausal women, these correlations were weaker in women. However, these findings should be taken with caution and verified in future investigations by collecting numerous urine samples in advance to strengthen OPE exposure estimates.

A simple and practical solvent system selection strategy for high-speed countercurrent chromatography based on the HPLC polarity parameter model.

The selection of an appropriate solvent system is the most crucial step in high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) separation. The compound polarity plays an important role in HPLC analysis and HSCCC separation, and it can be calculated by the HPLC polarity parameter model and the average polarity of the HSCCC solvent system, respectively. However, flow rates, columns and methanol concentrations of the HPLC experiment can influence the calculation of the compound polarity. Therefore, the applicability and accuracy of the HPLC polarity parameter model still needed to be extensively validated. We chose 14 compounds to conduct the shake-flask experiments and HPLC analysis on, such as apigenin, honokiol, phloridzin and dihydromyricetin. The HPLC analysis results showed that different flow rates and columns have negligible effects on the calculated compound polarities. However, there was a certain variation trend in the calculated polarities with different methanol concentrations. Although the polarity values of some compounds showed a difference between the HPLC analysis and shake-flask experiments, their partition coefficients (K) in the HSCCC solvent systems were still located in the range of 0.5 < K < 2.0. Guided by the HPLC polarity parameter model, the appropriate HSCCC solvent systems for mangosteen peel and Hypericum sampsonii Hance were selected, and the two main components (mangostin and quercetin) were isolated from their extracts, respectively. The separation results showed that the predicted compound polarities were sufficient to meet the HSCCC separation requirements. Meanwhile, this method required only 1 to 2 HPLC analyses with reference compounds, greatly improved the efficiency of the HSCCC solvent system selection, and shortened the experimental time. The polarity parameter model was a fast and efficient analysis method for the selection of an appropriate HSCCC solvent system.

Cognitive Function Mainly Shaped by Socioeconomic Status Rather Than Chronic Hypoxia in Adolescents at High Altitude.

Yu, Linyang, Jinqing Feng, Chen Zhou, Xiaohan Zhu, Xiaobin Lou, Jian Yang, Haiying Qi, and Jia Li. Cognitive function mainly shaped by socioeconomic status rather than chronic hypoxia in adolescents at high altitude. High Alt Med Biol. 23:223-231, 2022. Background: The study evaluated cognitive function in relation to the changes in brain tissue oxygenation in three groups of high school students from different socioeconomic regions including Tibetans in Jiuzhi and Lhasa (both at 3,600 m), and Han in Beijing (44 m). Methods: Jiuzhi, Lhasa, and Beijing Group included 21 Tibetans, 24 Tibetans, and 23 Han, respectively. Wechsler Intelligence Scale was used for cognitive evaluation. Functional near infrared spectroscopy was used to measure the changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) during the cognitive assessment. Gross domestic product (GDP) was used to indicate the socioeconomic status. Results: All the cognitive scores were significantly lower in the two high altitude groups compared with the Beijing Group (p < 0.001). The scores in Jiuzhi Group were significantly lower compared with the Lhasa Group (p < 0.001). The changes in oxy-Hb in channels 6 and 15 in both high-altitude groups were significantly greater compared with the Beijing Group (p < 0.05), without significant difference between the two high-altitude groups. GDP was significantly correlated with all the scores (p < 0.001), but not altitude. Conclusions: Cognitive impairment occurs in adolescents at high altitude, being severer in Jiuzhi Group compared with the Lhasa Group. The lower performance in both high-altitude groups require greater brain activity over-compensated by cerebral oxygen delivery as indicated by the changes in oxy-Hb. The cognitive scores were significantly correlated with GDP rather than altitude. Cognitive function in adolescents at high altitude is not limited by chronic hypoxia, but mainly shaped by socioeconomic determinants.

SRY-related high-mobility group box 9 (SOX9) alleviates cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced inflammatory injury in human bronchial epithelial cells by suppressing stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) expression.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway disease with airflow limitation and abnormal inflammatory response. It has been verified that SOX9 plays a key role in lung function of various lung diseases and SOX9 is closely associated with COPD. Additionally, literature has reported that STIM1 is involved in lung injury and is highly expressed in neutrophils from COPD patients. This study aimed to characterize the biological roles of SOX9 and STIM1 in the pathogenesis of COPD and to elucidate the regulatory mechanism. METHODS: Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were treated with CSE to construct in vitro COPD model. The levels of SOX9 and STIM1 in CSE-treated BEAS-2B cells were detected by western blot and RT-qPCR assay. Then, JASPAR datasets were utilized to analyze SOX9 binding sites in the promoter region of STIM1. Besides, luciferase reporter assay and ChIP assay were employed to validate the binding sites in STIM1 promoter region to SOX9. In addition, viability and apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells were assessed by utilizing MTT assay and TUNEL staining. ELISA kits and corresponding commercial kits were applied to measure the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, SOD, GSH-Px and MDA. RESULTS: CSE treatment dose- and time-dependently reduced SOX9 expression in BEAS-2B cells. SOX9 overexpression enhanced the viability and suppressed the apoptosis of CSE-treated BEAS-2B cells as well as attenuated CSE-induced inflammation and oxidative stress. Then, it was validated that SOX9 bound to the promoter region of STIM1. Moreover, SOX9 overexpression-mediated impacts on cell viability, cell apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress in CSE-treated BEAS-2B cells were partially abolished by upregulation of STIM1. CONCLUSION: To sum up, results here suggested that overexpression of SOX9 could mitigate inflammatory injury in CSE-treated bronchial epithelial cells by suppressing STIM1.