Megakaryocytic IGF1 coordinates activation and ferroptosis to safeguard hematopoietic stem cell regeneration after radiation injury.

BACKGROUND: Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) regeneration underlies hematopoietic recovery from myelosuppression, which is a life-threatening side effect of cytotoxicity. HSC niche is profoundly disrupted after myelosuppressive injury, while if and how the niche is reshaped and regulates HSC regeneration are poorly understood. METHODS: A mouse model of radiation injury-induced myelosuppression was built by exposing mice to a sublethal dose of ionizing radiation. The dynamic changes in the number, distribution and functionality of HSCs and megakaryocytes were determined by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, colony assay and bone marrow transplantation, in combination with transcriptomic analysis. The communication between HSCs and megakaryocytes was determined using a coculture system and adoptive transfer. The signaling mechanism was investigated both in vivo and in vitro, and was consolidated using megakaryocyte-specific knockout mice and transgenic mice. RESULTS: Megakaryocytes become a predominant component of HSC niche and localize closer to HSCs after radiation injury. Meanwhile, transient insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) hypersecretion is predominantly provoked in megakaryocytes after radiation injury, whereas HSCs regenerate paralleling megakaryocytic IGF1 hypersecretion. Mechanistically, HSCs are particularly susceptible to megakaryocytic IGF1 hypersecretion, and mTOR downstream of IGF1 signaling not only promotes activation including proliferation and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism of HSCs, but also inhibits ferritinophagy to restrict HSC ferroptosis. Consequently, the delicate coordination between proliferation, mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and ferroptosis ensures functional HSC expansion after radiation injury. Importantly, punctual IGF1 administration simultaneously promotes HSC regeneration and hematopoietic recovery after radiation injury, representing a superior therapeutic approach for myelosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies megakaryocytes as a last line of defense against myelosuppressive injury and megakaryocytic IGF1 as a novel niche signal safeguarding HSC regeneration.

Ferroptosis heterogeneity within the tumor microenvironment revealed a genetic blueprint of breast cancer.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) significantly influences disease progression through immune infiltration, while ferroptosis, a recently discovered cell death mechanism, plays a crucial role in tumor suppression. However, its role in breast cancer is not clear. In this study, we analyzed bulk RNA and single-cell RNA sequencing data from 1217 samples, including 1104 breast cancer patients and 113 controls, to identify ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and construct a prognostic model. Using univariate cox regression, LASSO regression, and multivariate cox regression analysis, we discovered 21 FRGs and 3 TME-related immune cell types with prognostic value. Dimensionality reduction clustering and visualization were performed using the UMAP method, while the immune infiltration process was calculated with the TIP online tool. We employed GSEA enrichment analysis, WGCNA clustering analysis, and correlation analysis to examine functional differences, and the mutation analysis of the best and worst prognosis groups was conducted using the maftools package. Our findings revealed that knocking down the expression of the hub gene SLC39A7 significantly impacted cancer cell apoptosis and combining ferroptosis and TME scores yielded high prognostic power. Epithelial cells and B cells exhibited higher ferroptosis scores, which were independently associated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) response and ICB gene expression. This study provides a foundation for further exploration of the relationship between ferroptosis and ICB response in breast cancer. In conclusion, we developed a prognostic model based on ferroptosis and infiltrated immune cells that effectively stratified breast cancer patients and demonstrated the role of SLC39A7 in breast cancer pathogenesis through the regulation of apoptosis.

A Heterogeneous Viscosity Flow Model for Liquid Transport through Nanopores Considering Pore Size and Wettability.

The confinement effect in micro- and nanopores gives rise to distinct flow characteristics in fluids. Clarifying the fluid migration pattern in confined space is crucial for understanding and explaining the abnormal flow phenomena in unconventional reservoirs. In this study, flow characteristics of water and oil in alumina nanochannels were investigated with diameters ranging from 21 nm to 120 nm, and a heterogeneous viscosity flow model considering boundary fluid was proposed. Compared with the prediction of the HP equation, both types of fluids exhibit significant flow suppression in nanochannels. As the channel size decreases, the deviation degree increases. The fluid viscosity of the boundary region displays an upward trend as the channel size decreases and the influence of the interaction between the liquid and solid walls intensifies. The thickness of the boundary region gradually decreases with increasing pressure and eventually reaches a stable value, which is primarily determined by the strength of the interaction between the liquid and solid surfaces. Both the pore size and wettability are essential factors that affect the fluid flow. When the space scale is extremely small, the impact of wettability becomes more pronounced. Finally, the application of the heterogeneous flow model for permeability evaluation has yielded favorable fitting results. The model is of great significance for studying the fluid flow behavior in unconventional reservoirs.

Construct of an Electrodeposited Cobalt-Molybdenum Film and Evaluation of Its Efficiency in Hydrogen Evolution.

Hydrogen is a valuable clean energy source, and electrolysis to produce hydrogen from water is a crucial component. However, a major problem of hydrogen generation by electrolysis is its large overpotential and poor economics. To reduce the overpotential, we mainly use nickel foam and Co-Mo ions as feedstock and create an efficient catalytic material by electrodeposition. The Co-Mo interaction improves the current efficiency. In 1 mol/L NaOH solution, the overpotential of the Co-Mo-NF composites was low when the current density is -10 mA/cm2, with the best value reaching 45.3 mV, which is less than those of Co-NF (94.4 mV) and Mo-NF (88.2 mV). All deposits had similar Tafel slopes in the 77.9 mV/decade range. The catalyst does not just have a favorable effect on hydrogen formation but also has a surprisingly high double-layer capacitance (up to 180 mF/cm2) and good stability. This research provides an impactful approach for developing a non-precious metal HER catalyst for industrial hydrogen production.

Application of interface treatment at different positionp-nc-Si:H hole collector of silicon heterojunction cells.

The hole collector in silicon heterojunction cells serves not only as an integral component of thep/njunction, determining the strength of the built-in electric field, but also as a layer responsible for hole transport, thereby affecting carrier transport capacity. To enhance carrier extraction and transport properties of the hole collector, various interface treatments have been employed onp-type nanocrystalline (p-nc-Si:H) hole collectors. Through an examination of characteristics such as dark conductivity, crystallinity, and contact resistance, the impact of interface treatment onp-nc-Si:H hole collectors is clarified. Furthermore, considering distinct requirements for the hole collector at different locations, interface treatment processes are optimized accordingly. The introduction of interface treatment onp-nc-Si:H hole collectors has demonstrated significant enhancement of both front and rear junction cell efficiencies, which increased from 17.74% to 21.61% and from 16.83% to 20.92%, respectively.

Association of epidural analgesia during labor and early postpartum urinary incontinence among women delivered vaginally: a propensity score matched retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although epidural analgesia is considered the gold standard for pain relief during labor and is safe for maternity and fetus, the association between the epidural analgesia and pelvic floor disorders remains unclear. Thus we estimate the association between epidural analgesia and early postpartum urinary incontinence (UI). METHODS: A propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study was conducted at a university-affiliated hospital in Shanghai, China. Primiparous women with term, singleton, and vaginal delivery between December 2020 and February 2022 were included. UI was self-reported by maternity at 42 to 60 days postpartum and was classified by International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF). Using logistic regression models, the associations between epidural analgesia and early postpartum UI were assessed. RESULTS: Among 5190 participants, 3709 (71.5%) choose epidural anesthesia during labor. Analysis of the propensity-matched cohort (including 1447 maternal pairs) showed epidural anesthesia during labor was independently associated with UI in early postpartum period (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.24-1.81). This association was mainly contributed to stress UI (aOR 1.38, 95% CI 1.12-1.71) rather than urge UI (aOR 1.45, 95% CI 0.99-2.15) and mixed UI (aOR 1.52, 95% CI 0.95-2.45). Furthermore, we observed that the association between epidural anesthesia and UI was more pronounced among older women (≥ 35 y) and women with macrosomia (infant weight ≥ 4000 g), compared with their counterparts (both P for interaction < 0.01). After further analysis excluding the women with UI during pregnancy, the results remained largely consistent with the main analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support that epidural anesthesia was associated with SUI in the early postpartum period.

Establishment and validation of a simple nomogram for predicting early postpartum stress urinary incontinence among women with vaginal delivery: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common public health issue that negatively impacts the quality of life for women worldwide, of which early detection and rehabilitation are consequently pivotal. The aim of this study is to establish a simple nomogram for identifying women at risk of postpartum SUI. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary specialized hospital in Shanghai, China. The study included only women with singleton, full-term, and vaginal deliveries. 2,441 women who delivered from July 2019 to November 2019 were included in the training cohort, and 610 women who delivered from January 2022 to February 2022 were included in the validation cohort. SUI was determined by the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF). Univariate and multifactorial logistical regression were used to identify independent risk factors for postpartum SUI and further construct the nomogram accordingly. Based on concordance statistics (C-statistics), calibration curves, and decision curve analyses, we evaluated the performance of the nomogram in the training cohort and the validation cohort. In addition, the model was validated internally in the training cohort through cross-validation. RESULTS: There were no significant statistically differences in important baseline data such as age, pre-pregnancy BMI, and parity between the training and validation cohorts. SUI was observed in 431 (17.6%) and 125 (20.5%) women in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. According to the regression analysis, age, parity, second stage of labor, infant weight, and forceps delivery were included in the nomogram. The nomogram had a C-statistic of 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-0.85) for predicting SUI. C-statistics were stable in both internally cross-validated training cohort (mean 0.81) and validation cohort (0.83 [95% CI 0.79-0.87]). The nomogram's calibration curve was near the ideal diagonal line. Additionally, the model exhibited a positive net benefit from the decision curve analysis. CONCLUSION: We have created a nomogram that can be utilized to quantify the risk of postpartum SUI for women with vaginal delivery. The model might contribute to predicting early postpartum SUI, thereby facilitating the management of SUI.

Quasi-Heteroface Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted unprecedented attention due to their rapidly rising photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE). In order to further improve the PCE of PSCs, new possible optimization path needs to be found. Here, quasi-heteroface PSCs (QHF-PSCs) is designed by a double-layer perovskite film. Such brand new PSCs have good carrier separation capabilities, effectively suppress the nonradiative recombination of the PSCs, and thus greatly improve the open-circuit voltage and PCE. The root cause of the performance improvement is the benefit from the additional built-in electric field, which is confirmed by measuring the external quantum efficiency under applied electric field and Kelvin probe force microscope. Meanwhile, an intermediate band gap perovskite layer can be obtained simply by combining a wide band gap perovskite layer with a narrow band gap perovskite layer. Tunability of the band gap is obtained by varying the film thicknesses of the narrow and wide band gap layers. This phenomenon is quite different from traditional inorganic solar cells, whose band gap is determined only by the narrowest band gap layer. It is believed that these QHF-PSCs will be an effective strategy to further enhance PCE in PSCs and provide basis to further understand and develop the perovskite materials platform.

Klotho Protein Reduced the Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in Fibroblasts from Patients with Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) by Down-Regulating the Phosphorylation of ERK1/2.

BACKGROUND Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is due to age-related atrophy and the weakening of the tissues of the pelvic floor, with degradation of collagen and extracellular matrix (ECM) by metalloproteinases (MMPs). This study aimed to investigates the role of the age-related enzyme klotho, encoded by the KL gene, in cultured fibroblasts obtained from patients with POP and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and MMPs. MATERIAL AND METHODS Pelvic floor fibroblasts were obtained from connective tissue from three patients with POP and three normal subjects. Cell proliferation and ROS production were measured using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), klotho, metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), MMP-3, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p-ERK1/2 were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and Western blot. RESULTS In cultured pelvic floor fibroblasts from patients with POP, the expression of klotho protein and klotho mRNA were significantly down-regulated in fibroblasts from patients with POP compared with normal fibroblasts. Klotho supplementation in cultured fibroblasts for patients with POP included increased cell growth, reduced expression of ROS reduction, and reduced the secretion of IL-6. Using qRT-PCR and Western blot, klotho supplementation of fibroblasts from patients with POP increased cell growth and reduced the levels of IL-6 and ROS in a dose-dependent way. CONCLUSIONS Klotho protein reduced the expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in fibroblasts from patients with POP by down-regulating the phosphorylation of ERK1/2.

Proanthocyanidins Protect Epithelial Cells from Zearalenone-Induced Apoptosis via Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis Pathways in Mouse Small Intestines.

This study evaluated the protective effect of proanthocyanidins (PCs) on reducing apoptosis in the mouse intestinal epithelial cell model MODE-K exposed to zearalenone (ZEA) through inhibition of the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-induced apoptosis pathway. Our results showed that PCs could reduce the rate of apoptosis in MODE-K cells exposed to ZEA (p < 0.01). PCs significantly increased the ZEA-induced antioxidant protective effects on the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and on the content of GSH. PCs also significantly decreased the ZEA-induced increase in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). The analysis indicated that ZEA increased both mRNA and protein expression levels of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), GRP78, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 12 (caspase-12) (p < 0.05), which are related to the ERS-induced apoptosis pathway. ZEA decreased levels of the pro-apoptotic related protein Bcl-2 (p < 0.05) and increased the anti-apoptotic related protein Bax (p < 0.05). Co-treatment with PCs was also shown to significantly reverse the expression levels of these proteins in MODE-K cells. The results demonstrated that PCs could protect MODE-K cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by ZEA. The underlying mechanism may be that PCs can alleviate apoptosis in mouse intestinal epithelial cells by inhibition of the ERS-induced apoptosis pathway.

Clinical evaluation of dengue RNA, NS1, and IgM for diagnosis of dengue in Southern China.

In 2014, a large outbreak of dengue occurred in Guangzhou, China. This outbreak prompted us to evaluate NS1 and RNA for the early diagnosis of acute dengue infection, in addition to the combination with IgM antibody. We aimed to find the differences of three assays about dengue diagnosis. This study was an evaluation of diagnosis test. Based on WHO criteria 2009, dengue RNA, NS1, and IgM/IgG were detected from 294 patients (180 dengue patients, 114 non-dengue patients) by three diagnostic kits made in China. The χ(2) test, sensitivity, and specificity were used in statistical analysis. The ratios of dengue patients with low platelet counts (<100 × 10(9) /L 32.2%) or white blood cell counts (<4.0 × 10(9) /L 58.9%) were significantly higher compared to non-dengue patients (P < 0.05). Dengue NS1 was shown sensitive (93.9%) for diagnostic use. RNA had a better performance with 98.1% of sensitivity from day 1 to day 4 after illness onset. IgM performed better at day 5 or more with 74.0% of sensitivity. The diagnostic rate using a combination of RNA and IgM was 97.8% and 96.7% using NS1 and IgM. A patient with low platelet and white blood cell counts needs additional tests for dengue during an epidemic. RNA and NS1 were most valuable for early diagnosis of dengue, whereas IgM was best suited as a supplementary method for patients at day 5 or more after illness onset.

Synthesis and optoelectronic properties of quaternary GaInAsSb alloy nanosheets.

Quasi-one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures have been extensively explored for electronic and optoelectronic devices on account of their unique morphologies and versatile physical properties. Here, we report the successful synthesis of GaInAsSb alloy nanosheets by a simple chemical vapor deposition method. The grown GaInAsSb alloy nanosheets are pure zinc-blende single crystals, which show nanosize-induced extraordinary optoelectronic properties as compared with bulk materials. µ-Raman spectra exhibit a multi-mode phonon vibration behavior with clear frequency shifts under varied laser power. Photoluminescence measurements reveal a strong light emission in the near-infrared region (1985 nm), and the obtained Varshni thermal coefficients α and ß are smaller than those of the bulk counterparts due to the size confinement effect. In addition, photodetectors (PDs) based on these single-alloy nanosheets were constructed for the first time. The PDs show a strong response in the near-infrared region with the external quantum efficiency of 8.05 × 104%, and the responsivity of 0.675 × 103 A W-1. These novel nanostructures would make contributions to the study of fundamental physical phenomena in quasi-1D nanomaterial systems and can be potential building blocks for optoelectronic and quantum devices.

Target Tracking Using SePDAF under Ambiguous Angles for Distributed Array Radar.

Distributed array radar can improve radar detection capability and measurement accuracy. However, it will suffer cyclic ambiguity in its angle estimates according to the spatial Nyquist sampling theorem since the large sparse array is undersampling. Consequently, the state estimation accuracy and track validity probability degrades when the ambiguous angles are directly used for target tracking. This paper proposes a second probability data association filter (SePDAF)-based tracking method for distributed array radar. Firstly, the target motion model and radar measurement model is built. Secondly, the fusion result of each radar's estimation is employed to the extended Kalman filter (EKF) to finish the first filtering. Thirdly, taking this result as prior knowledge, and associating with the array-processed ambiguous angles, the SePDAF is applied to accomplish the second filtering, and then achieving a high accuracy and stable trajectory with relatively low computational complexity. Moreover, the azimuth filtering accuracy will be promoted dramatically and the position filtering accuracy will also improve. Finally, simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The Protective Effect of Grape-Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract on Oxidative Damage Induced by Zearalenone in Kunming Mice Liver.

Although grape-seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) demonstrates strong anti-oxidant activity, little research has been done to clearly reveal the protective effects on the hepatotoxicity caused by zearalenone (ZEN). This study is to explore the protective effect of GSPE on ZEN-induced oxidative damage of liver in Kunming mice and the possible protective molecular mechanism of GSPE. The results indicated that GSPE could greatly reduce the ZEN-induced increase of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities. GSPE also significantly decreased the content of MDA but enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes SOD and GSH-Px. The analysis indicated that ZEN decreased both mRNA expression levels and protein expression levels of nuclear erythroid2-related factor2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 is considered to be an essential antioxidative transcription factor, as downstream GSH-Px, γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), and quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) decreased simultaneously, whereas the pre-administration of GSPE groups was shown to elevate these expressions. The results indicated that GSPE exerted a protective effect on ZEN-induced hepatic injury and the mechanism might be related to the activation of the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.

The Protective Effect of Selenium on Chronic Zearalenone-Induced Reproductive System Damage in Male Mice.

This study aims to explore the protective effect of selenium (Se) on chronic zearalenone (ZEN)-induced reproductive system damage in male mice and the possible protective molecular mechanism against this. The chronic ZEN-induced injury mouse model was established with the continuous intragastric administration of 40 mg/kg body mass (B.M.) ZEN for 28 days. Then, interventions with different doses (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg B.M.) of Se were conducted on mice to analyse the changes in organ indexes of epididymis and testis, antioxidant capability of testis, serum level of testosterone, sperm concentration and motility parameters, and the expression levels of apoptosis-associated genes and blood testis barrier- (BTB) related genes. Our results showed that Se could greatly improve the ZEN-induced decrease of epididymis indexes and testis indexes. Results also showed that the decrease in sperm concentration, sperm normality rate, and sperm motility parameters, including percentage of motile sperm (motile), tropism percentage (progressive) and sperm average path velocity (VAP), caused by ZEN were elevated upon administration of the higher dose (0.4 mg/kg) and intermediate dose (0.2 mg/kg) of Se. Selenium also significantly reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) but enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the testis tissue. Further research demonstrated that ZEN increased the level of mRNA expression of BCL2-associated X protein (Bax) and caspase 3 (Casp3), decreased the level of mRNA expression of B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), vimentin (Vim) and cadherin 2 (Cdh2), whereas the co-administration of Se reversed these gene expression levels. Our results indicated that high levels of Se could protect against reproductive system damage in male mice caused by ZEN and the mechanism might such be that Se improved mice antioxidant ability, inhibited reproductive cell apoptosis, and increased the decrease of BTB integrity-related genes caused by ZEN.

Temporal patterns of gene expression associated with tuberous root formation and development in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas).

BACKGROUND: The tuberous root of sweetpotato is undisputedly an important organ from agronomic and biological perspectives. Little is known regarding the regulatory networks programming tuberous root formation and development. RESULTS: Here, as a first step toward understanding these networks, we analyzed and characterized the genome-wide transcriptional profiling and dynamics of sweetpotato root in seven distinct developmental stages using a customized microarray containing 39,724 genes. Analysis of these genes identified temporal programs of gene expression, including hundreds of transcription factor (TF) genes. We found that most genes active in roots were shared across all developmental stages, although significant quantitative changes in gene abundance were observed for 5,368 (including 435 TFs) genes. Clustering analysis of these differentially expressed genes pointed out six distinct expression patterns during root development. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that genes involved in different processes were enriched at specific stages of root development. In contrast with the large number of shared expressed genes in root development, each stage or period of root development has only a small number of specific genes. In total, 712 (including 27 TFs) and 1,840 (including 115 TFs) genes were identified as root-stage and root-period specific, respectively at the level of microarray. Several of the specific TF genes are known regulators of root development, including DA1-related protein, SHORT-ROOT and BEL1-like. The remaining TFs with unknown roles would also play critical regulatory roles during sweetpotato tuberous root formation and development. CONCLUSIONS: The results generated in this study provided spatiotemporal patterns of root gene expression in support of future efforts for understanding the underlying molecular mechanism that control sweetpotato yield and quality.

Trade-offs of the opto-electrical properties of a-Si:H solar cells based on MOCVD BZO films.

Boron-doped zinc oxide (BZO) films, deposited by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), have been widely used as front electrodes in thin-film solar cells due to their native pyramidal surface structure, which results in efficient light trapping. This light trapping effect can enhance the short-circuit current density (Jsc) of solar cells. However, nanocracks or voids in the silicon active layer may form when the surface morphology of the BZO is too sharp; this usually leads to degraded electrical properties of the cells, such as open-circuit voltage (Voc) and the fill factor (FF), which in turn decreases efficiency (Eff) [Bailat et al., Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on. IEEE, 2006, vol. 2, pp. 1533-1536]. In this paper, an etching and coating method was proposed to modify the sharp "pyramids" on the surface of the BZO films. As a result, an evident enhancement was achieved for these modified, BZO-based cells' Voc, FF, and Eff, although the Jsc exhibited a small decrease. In order to increase the Jsc and maintain the improved electrical properties (Voc, FF) of the cell, a thin BZO coating, deposited by MOCVD, was introduced to coat the sputtering-treated BZO film. Finally, we optimized the trade-off among the Voc, FF, and Jsc, that is, we identified a regime with an increase of the Jsc as well as a further improvement of the other electrical properties.

Pre- and postoperative evaluation of pelvic floor muscle function in POP patients using surface electromyography and digital palpation.

AIMS: The study aims to evaluate the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function in patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) pre- and postoperatively using digital palpation and surface electromyography. METHODS: In this non-randomized prospective study, two groups of patients were recruited for assessment. The surgical group included 74 POP patients receiving the modified pelvic reconstructive surgery and the control group consisted of 30 non-POP patients. One physiotherapist conducted the digital palpation and SEMG evaluation. The scale of PFM strength, the duration and voltage of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) as well as numbers and voltage of short, fast contractions (SFC) by SEMG were documented and compared in both groups. For statistical analysis, t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon test were used with a significant level 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 68 POP patients finished the two follow-ups. Sixty-four patients were objectively cured with a 94.1% cure rate. Mesh erosions happened in three patients (4.8%). By digital palpation, the PFM strength increased significantly in POP patients after surgery but still lower than non-POP patients (P<0.001). By SEMG, the electrical activity of PFM increased significantly in the surgical group postoperatively (P 0.001). CONCLUSION: The PFM function was improved 3 months after the modified pelvic reconstructive surgery in POP patients based on digital palpation and SEMG. The evaluation of PFM function should be included in the overall assessment of pelvic reconstructive surgeries.

Hematopoietic Stem Cells as an Integrative Hub Linking Lifestyle to Cardiovascular Health.

Despite breakthroughs in modern medical care, the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is even more prevalent globally. Increasing epidemiologic evidence indicates that emerging cardiovascular risk factors arising from the modern lifestyle, including psychosocial stress, sleep problems, unhealthy diet patterns, physical inactivity/sedentary behavior, alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking, contribute significantly to this worldwide epidemic, while its underpinning mechanisms are enigmatic. Hematological and immune systems were recently demonstrated to play integrative roles in linking lifestyle to cardiovascular health. In particular, alterations in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) homeostasis, which is usually characterized by proliferation, expansion, mobilization, megakaryocyte/myeloid-biased differentiation, and/or the pro-inflammatory priming of HSCs, have been shown to be involved in the persistent overproduction of pro-inflammatory myeloid leukocytes and platelets, the cellular protagonists of cardiovascular inflammation and thrombosis, respectively. Furthermore, certain lifestyle factors, such as a healthy diet pattern and physical exercise, have been documented to exert cardiovascular protective effects through promoting quiescence, bone marrow retention, balanced differentiation, and/or the anti-inflammatory priming of HSCs. Here, we review the current understanding of and progression in research on the mechanistic interrelationships among lifestyle, HSC homeostasis, and cardiovascular health. Given that adhering to a healthy lifestyle has become a mainstream primary preventative approach to lowering the cardiovascular burden, unmasking the causal links between lifestyle and cardiovascular health from the perspective of hematopoiesis would open new opportunities to prevent and treat CVD in the present age.

Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training With Smartphone Reminders on Women in the Postpartum Period: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

IMPORTANCE: Standard postpartum pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) can effectively reduce the incidence of pelvic floor dysfunction diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the adherence of PFMT with smartphone application reminders on women in the postpartum period. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a randomized controlled trial. This single-center randomized (1:1) controlled study included primiparous women admitted to Tongji Hospital between March 2022 and June 2022 (ChiCTR2200059157). Every puerpera was given pelvic floor muscle (PFM) assessment and PFMT guidance at 6 weeks after delivery. After randomization, women in the intervention group received daily training reminders from the smartphone application WeChat. Adherence to PFMT, a symptom of stress urinary incontinence, and PFM characteristics were measured 3 months later. RESULTS: A total of 148 participants were included in the final analysis (76 in the intervention group and 72 in the control group). The adherence rate of daily PFMT was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (53.9% vs 20.8%, P = 0.00) at 3-month follow-up. In addition, participants in the intervention group showed higher peak surface electromyography of PFMs (39.8 ± 6.2 vs 37.5 ± 5.9 µV, P = 0.03) and longer PFM endurance (8.1 ± 2.0 vs 7.3 ± 2.0 seconds, P = 0.01) than in the control group, whereas there was no difference between the 2 groups in International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form ( P = 0.60) and the Patient Global Impression of Improvement scores ( P = 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Smartphone application-based PFMT could increase adherence and improves electromyography of PFMs in the short term but did not affect stress urinary incontinence symptoms in women in the postpartum period.