Synthesis of iron-manganese bimetallic materials supported by activated carbon and application of activated persulfate in the degradation of soil contaminated by crude oil.

Heterogeneous catalytic processes based on zero-valent iron (ZVI) have been developed to treat soil and wastewater pollutants. However, the agglomeration of ZVI reduces its ability to activate persulfate (PS). In this study, a new Fe-Mn@AC activated material was prepared to activated PS to treat oil-contaminated soil, and using the microscopic characterization of Fe-Mn@AC materials, the electron transfer mode during the Fe-Mn@AC activation of PS was clarified. Firstly, the petroluem degradation rate was optimized. When the PS addition amount was 8%, Fe-Mn@AC addition amount was 3% and the water to soil ratio was 3:1, the petroluem degradation rate in the soil reached to the maximum of 85.69% after 96 h of reaction. Then it was illustrated that sulfate and hydroxyl radicals played major roles in crude oil degradation, while singlet oxygen contributed slightly. Finally, the indigenous microbial community structures remaining after restoring the Fe-Mn@AC/PS systems were analyzed. The proportion of petroleum degrading bacteria in soil increased by 23% after oxidation by Fe-Mn@AC/PS system. Similarly, the germination rate of wheat seeds revealed that soil toxicity was greatly reduced after applying the Fe-Mn@AC/PS system. After the treatment with Fe-Mn@AC/PS system, the germination rate, root length and bud length of wheat seed were increased by 54.05%, 7.98 mm and 6.84 mm, respectively, compared with the polluted soil group. These results showed that the advanced oxidation system of Fe-Mn@AC activates PS and can be used in crude oil-contaminated soil remediation.

Path analysis of the awareness status and influencing factors of sarcopenia in older adults in the community: based on structural equation modeling.

Background: Sarcopenia is a progressive geriatric syndrome that impacts older adults' quality of life. Insufficient focus has been given to sarcopenia among Chinese residents, resulting in low level of sarcopenia awareness. This study aims to investigate awareness of sarcopenia and its influencing factors and the influencing pathways among older adults in Hangzhou. Methods: A stratified random sample of 942 community-dwelling older adults was evaluated using the SARC-CalF screening tool, along with a questionnaire based on health ecology theory to assess awareness of sarcopenia and its influencing factors and the influencing pathways. Descriptive statistics, linear regression analysis, and path analysis were conducted using SPSS 25.0 and Amos 23.0 to analyze the data. Results: The mean awareness score for sarcopenia was 60.26 ± 7.31. Self-rated physical health, daily intake of high-quality protein, exercise frequency, smoking status, self-efficacy, religious beliefs, social support, education level, occupation, participation in community free medical examinations, and awareness of nutrition policy were all factors affecting scores for sarcopenia awareness (p < 0.05). Except for negative effects observed in social support, smoking status, and self-rated physical health, all others exhibit positive effects. Conclusion: Community healthcare institutions should target populations with low awareness of sarcopenia and focus on these key factors. Diverse health education programs and multi-channel screening activities can promote awareness, guide healthy lifestyles and prevent or delay the onset of sarcopenia in the older.

A repeated strike loading organ culture model for studying compression-associated chronic disc degeneration.

Mechanical stress has been viewed as one of the key risk factors in accelerating the intervertebral disc degeneration process. The goal of the present study was to employ a repeated strike loading bovine caudal disc system to elucidate the pathophysiological impacts of cumulative mechanical stress on the disc. The discs in the model groups were subjected to two different mechanical stresses: one strike loading or repeated strike loading. The following indices were analyzed: histological morphology, glycosaminoglycan release, disc height, cell viability, apoptosis-related protein expression, and catabolism-related gene expression. Both mechanical stress modes induced degenerative changes in the discs by day 11, such as clefts and delamination of the annulus fibrosus; they increased glycosaminoglycan release. Cell viability was significantly decreased and catabolic gene expression was significantly up-regulated in the degenerative loading group and repeated strike loading group by day 9. These alterations remained evident in the annulus fibrosus tissue of the repeated strike loading group on day 11. Our data suggests that the repeated strike loading model adopted in this study could lead to degenerative changes in the disc organ model. Annulus fibrosus cells displayed a more noticeable response to mechanical stress damage and a slower recovery process, suggesting that the annulus fibrosus serves as a pivotal factor in disc degeneration due to mechanical stress injuries. The study also indicates that due to the gradual self-repair of intervertebral disc cells after injury, it is necessary to apply repeated strike loading on the disc at specific intervals when researching the repair of chronic disc injuries.

Repetitive strikes loading organ culture model to investigate the biological and biomechanical responses of the intervertebral disc.

Background: Disc degeneration is associated with repetitive violent injuries. This study aims to explore the impact of repetitive strikes loading on the biology and biomechanics of intervertebral discs (IVDs) using an organ culture model. Methods: IVDs from the bovine tail were isolated and cultured in a bioreactor, with exposure to various loading conditions. The control group was subjected to physiological loading, while the model group was exposed to either one strike loading (compression at 38% of IVD height) or repetitive one strike loading (compression at 38% of IVD height). Disc height and dynamic compressive stiffness were measured after overnight swelling and loading. Furthermore, histological morphology, cell viability, and gene expression were analyzed on Day 32. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and nitric oxide (NO) release in conditioned medium were also analyzed. Results: The repetitive one strike group exhibited early disc degeneration, characterized by decreased dynamic compression stiffness, the presence of annulus fibrosus clefts, and degradation of the extracellular matrix. Additionally, this group demonstrated significantly higher levels of cell death (p < 0.05) and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Furthermore, upregulation of MMP1, MMP13, and ADAMTS5 was observed in both nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) tissues of the repetitive one strike group (p < 0.05). The one strike group exhibited annulus fibrosus clefts but showed no gene expression changes compared to the control group. Conclusions: This study shows that repetitive violent injuries lead to the degeneration of a healthy bovine IVDs, thereby providing new insights into early-stage disc degeneration.

A causal examination of the correlation between hormonal and reproductive factors and low back pain.

Background: The relationship between hormonal fluctuations in the reproductive system and the occurrence of low back pain (LBP) has been widely observed. However, the causal impact of specific variables that may be indicative of hormonal and reproductive factors, such as age at menopause (ANM), age at menarche (AAM), length of menstrual cycle (LMC), age at first birth (AFB), age at last live birth (ALB) and age first had sexual intercourse (AFS) on low back pain remains unclear. Methods: This study employed Bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) using publicly available summary statistics from Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and FinnGen Consortium to investigate the causal links between hormonal and reproductive factors on LBP. Various MR methodologies, including inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, and weighted median, were utilized. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to ensure the robustness and validity of the findings. Subsequently, Multivariate Mendelian randomization (MVMR) was employed to assess the direct causal impact of reproductive and hormone factors on the risk of LBP. Results: After implementing the Bonferroni correction and conducting rigorous quality control, the results from MR indicated a noteworthy association between a decreased risk of LBP and AAM (OR=0.784, 95% CI: 0.689-0.891; p=3.53E-04), AFB (OR=0.558, 95% CI: 0.436-0.715; p=8.97E-06), ALB (OR=0.396, 95% CI: 0.226-0.692; p=0.002), and AFS (OR=0.602, 95% CI: 0.518-0.700; p=3.47E-10). Moreover, in the reverse MR analysis, we observed no significant causal effects of LBP on ANM, AAM, LMC and AFS. MVMR analysis demonstrated the continued significance of the causal effect of AFB on LBP after adjusting for BMI. Conclusion: Our study explored the causal relationship between ANM, AAM, LMC, AFB, AFS, ALB and the prevalence of LBP. We found that early menarche, early age at first birth, early age at last live birth and early age first had sexual intercourse may decrease the risk of LBP. These insights enhance our understanding of LBP risk factors, offering valuable guidance for screening, prevention, and treatment strategies for at-risk women.