3D bioprinting of high-performance hydrogel with in-situ birth of stem cell spheroids.

Digital light processing (DLP)-based bioprinting technology holds immense promise for the advancement of hydrogel constructs in biomedical applications. However, creating high-performance hydrogel constructs with this method is still a challenge, as it requires balancing the physicochemical properties of the matrix while also retaining the cellular activity of the encapsulated cells. Herein, we propose a facile and practical strategy for the 3D bioprinting of high-performance hydrogel constructs through the in-situ birth of stem cell spheroids. The strategy is achieved by loading the cell/dextran microdroplets within gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) emulsion, where dextran functions as a decoy to capture and aggregate the cells for bioprinting while GelMA enables the mechanical support without losing the structural complexity and fidelity. Post-bioprinting, the leaching of dextran results in a smooth curved surface that promotes in-situ birth of spheroids within hydrogel constructs. This process significant enhances differentiation potential of encapsulated stem cells. As a proof-of-concept, we encapsulate dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) within hydrogel constructs, showcasing their regenerative capabilities in dentin and neovascular-like structures in vivo. The strategy in our study enables high-performance hydrogel tissue construct fabrication with DLP-based bioprinting, which is anticipated to pave a promising way for diverse biomedical applications.

Women's knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding cervical precancerous lesions: a cross-sectional study in Beijing, China.

Background: This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of women in Beijing regarding cervical precancerous lesions. Methods: This web-based, cross-sectional study included women at Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine between March 13, 2024 and April 9, 2024. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to collect participants' demographic information and KAP scores toward cervical precancerous lesions. Results: The study included 951 valid questionnaires, with a mean age of 40.0 years. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 12.55 ± 6.23 (possible range: 0-26), 50.66 ± 7.48 (possible range: 13-65), and 26.13 ± 4.98 (possible range: 7-35), respectively. The knowledge score (OR = 1.071, 95%CI: 1.040-1.103, p < 0.001), currently married (OR = 0.548, 95%CI: 0.304-0.985, p = 0.045), and with a history of HPV infection (OR = 2.302, 95%CI: 1.062-4.990, p = 0.035) were independently associated with the attitude score. The knowledge score (OR = 1.155, 95%CI: 1.119-1.192, p < 0.001), monthly income >20,000 (OR = 2.793, 95%CI: 1.249-6.248, p = 0.012), a history of HPV infection (OR = 0.380, 95%CI: 0.222-0.650, p < 0.001), unknown HPV infection status (OR = 0.289, OR = 0.177-0.473, p < 0.001), vaccinated against HPV (OR = 1.752, 95%CI: 1.221-2.514, p = 0.002), giving birth to one child (OR = 1.991, 95%CI: 1.186-3.341, p = 0.009), and giving birth to two or more children (OR = 2.160, 95%CI: 1.240-3.763, p = 0.007) were independently associated with the practice score. The structured equation model showed that knowledge directly influenced attitude (ß = 0.237, p = 0.004) and practice (ß = 0.490, p = 0.010). Attitude directly influenced practice (ß = 0.193, p = 0.009). Conclusion: This study revealed inadequate knowledge, moderate attitude, and practice toward cervical precancerous lesions among women in Beijing. Educational interventions should be developed to enhance knowledge in this regard.

Assessment of an Airway Curriculum in a Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program.

Background: Endotracheal intubations (EIs) in the intensive care unit are high-risk procedures often performed by pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) providers. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education mandates PCCM fellows' competency in this procedure; however, the learning experiences vary across programs. After conducting a needs assessment, we developed a curriculum unique to our institution to supplement our fellows' existing EI experiences in the operating room and the intensive care unit. Objective: To assess the curriculum's short-term objectives: knowledge acquisition, maintenance, and practical skills 1 year after participation. Methods: We administered a survey to the graduating PCCM fellows for two consecutive years. We designed the comprehensive airway curriculum to include didactic lectures and simulation-based education. The knowledge acquisition and maintenance were measured by administering a 26-question knowledge survey before and after curriculum participation and after 1 year. The fellows also received a practical examination 1 year after participation. To compare knowledge survey scores, we used paired t tests and permutation tests. Results: In the needs assessment, 56% of graduating fellows believed they were proficient in performing EI, whereas 33% were undecided and 11% believed they were unprepared. Most believed they would need more than two courses after graduation to be confident in independently performing EIs. Most will only occasionally have backup for EI from anesthesiology or emergency medicine in their future jobs. One identified barrier to learning EI was the lack of a formal curriculum. In the knowledge assessment, nine first-year fellows participated in the curriculum. The cohort's mean presurvey score was 13.0 (standard deviation [SD], 4.5) versus 18.6 (SD, 3.6) mean postsurvey score. One year after participation, the mean survey score was 17 (SD, 1.2). The postsurvey and 1-year postparticipation survey scores were significantly higher than the presurvey scores (P < 0.05). One year after participation, the practical examination showed most fellows retained skills in EI using ramped position, video and direct laryngoscopy, bag-mask ventilation, and oropharyngeal airway placement. Conclusion: The airway curriculum enhances fellows' knowledge acquisition and maintenance 1 year after participation. The practical examination 1 year after participation highlighted the skills retained and those still needing improvement.

STING Promotes the Progression of ADPKD by Regulating Mitochondrial Function, Inflammation, Fibrosis, and Apoptosis.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a predominant genetic disease, which is caused by mutations in PKD genes and is associated with DNA damage in cystic cells. The intrinsic stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway is crucial for recognizing damaged DNA in the cytosol, triggering the expression of inflammatory cytokines to activate defense mechanisms. However, the precise roles and mechanisms of STING in ADPKD remain elusive. In this study, we show that Pkd1 mutant mouse kidneys show upregulation of STING, which is stimulated by the DNAs of nuclear and mitochondrial origin. The activation of STING promotes cyst growth through increasing (1) the activation of NF-κB in Pkd1 mutant cells and (2) the recruitment of macrophages in the interstitial and peri-cystic regions in Pkd1 mutant mouse kidneys via NF-κB mediating the upregulation of TNF-α and MCP-1. Targeting STING with its specific inhibitor C-176 delays cyst growth in an early-stage aggressive Pkd1 conditional knockout mouse model and a milder long-lasting Pkd1 mutant mouse model. Targeting STING normalizes mitochondrial structure and function, decreases the formation of micronuclei, induces Pkd1 mutant renal epithelial cell death via p53 signaling, and decreases renal fibrosis in Pkd1 mutant mouse kidneys. These results support that STING is a novel therapeutic target for ADPKD treatment.

Schizophrenia and antipsychotic medications present distinct and shared gut microbial composition: A meta-analysis.

There are some conflicting results regarding alterations of gut microbial composition in schizophrenia (SZ), even a few meta-analysis studies have addressed this field. Ignoring of antipsychotic medication effects may cause the large heterogeneity and impact on study results. This study is a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate composition of gut microbiota in patients with SZ, to elucidate the impact of antipsychotic use and reveal distinct and shared gut bacteria in SZ and antipsychotic medications. We re-analyzed the publicly available 16S rRNA-gene amplicon datasets by a standardized pipeline in QIIME2, used the natural log of response ratios as an effect index to directly and quantitatively compare composition of gut microbiota by random-effects meta-analysis with resampling tests in Metawin, ultimately to evaluate distinct abundance of gut bacteria. A total of 19 studies with 1968 participants (1067 patients with SZ and 901 healthy controls (HCs)) were included in this meta-analysis. The alterations of alpha diversity indices occurred in SZ on antipsychotics but not in drug-naïve or -free patients, while variation of beta diversity metrics appeared in SZ regardless of antipsychotic use. After antipsychotic treatment, reversed Simpson index, decreased observed species index and significant difference of Bray-Curtis distance were observed in patients. Especially, risperidone treatment increased the Shannon and Simpson indices. Noteworthy, three differed genera, including Lactobacillus, Roseburia and Dialister, were identified in both states of antipsychotic use. This meta-analysis is to provide a novel insight that SZ and antipsychotic medications present distinct and shared gut microbial composition.

Effects of acupuncture combined with five-element music for people with mild/moderate post-stroke depression: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with five-element music (FEM) as an therapeutic strategy for the physical and mental state of Post-stroke depression patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Multicenter, randomized clinical trial conducted at 3 hospitals in China and enrolling 237 patients with PSD between June 2019 and April 2021. Participants mild/moderate PSD (17-item GRID Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score 7-24) were randomly assigned (1:1) to acupuncture combined with FEM (AFEM) group or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was change and differences between the groups in HAMD-17 from baseline to week 12. Secondary outcomes included Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale score and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL) score. RESULTS: The 237 patients in this intention-to-treat analysis were randomized into either the AFEM group (n=119) or the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) group (n=118). Of these 237 participants, 225 (94.9 %) completed all outcome measurements at week 12. The AFEM and CBT groups both showed significant improvement in HAMD-17 from baseline to week 12. Patients in the AFEM group had significantly lower HAMD-17 scores of -3.56 at week 8 (95 % CI,-4.59 to -2.53; p <.001) and -3.50 at week 12 (95 % CI,-4.53 to -2.46; p<.001) than patients in the CBT group. The SS-QOL score improved significantly at week 12. The Fugl-Meyer score was significantly lower in the AFEM group than in the CBT group at week 4, but this difference was not statistically significant upon follow-up at weeks 8 and 12. The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 2.1 % in the AFEM group, with no serious adverse events reported. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that acupuncture and five-element music significantly improve the depressive symptoms in this cohort of Chinese PSD patients, and the toxicities were similar with CBP group. REGISTRATION: This study registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: ChiCTR1900023741.

Potato Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Harmonized Analysis of 7 Prospective Cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Data on the relation of potato consumption with risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) are limited and inconsistent. It is unclear whether the plant-based diet index (PDI), which is a novel and comprehensive tool to assess overall dietary pattern, modifies the association of potato intake with T2D. OBJECTIVES: We examined the association of total, combined baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes and fried potatoes with risk of T2D and test the interaction between PDI score and potato consumption on T2D risk. METHODS: We conducted a de novo, harmonized, individual-level data from 7 United States cohorts (N = 105,531). Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) separately in each cohort adjusting for anthropometric, demographic, and lifestyle factors and cohort-specific results were pooled using an inverse-variance weighted method. RESULTS: Mean age ranged from 25 to 72 y, 65% women, and mean consumption of total potatoes ranged from 1.9 to 4.3 times per week. In the primary analysis, total potato intake was not associated with T2D risk: multivariable adjusted HR of 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95, 1.08) for consumption of 1-2 servings/wk; 1.01 (95% CI: 0.93, 1.10) for >2-3 servings/wk; 1.05 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.12) for >3 to <5 servings/wk; and 1.07 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.16) for 5+ servings/wk compared with no potato intake. In secondary analyses, consumption of combined baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes was not associated with T2D risk, whereas fried potato consumption was positively associated with T2D risk: HR were 1 (ref), 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.12), and 1.12 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.22) for intake frequency of 0/wk, >0 to 1/wk, and >1/wk, respectively (P-trend = 0.04). There was no significant interaction between PDI score and potato consumption on T2D risk. CONCLUSIONS: Although consumption of total potato is not associated with T2D risk, a modest elevated risk of T2D is observed with fried potato consumption.

The Effect of Opioid-Free Anesthesia with Transversus Abdominis Plane Block on Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Randomized Controlled Study.

Purpose: Anesthesia for metabolic-bariatric surgery is challenging due to the increased risk of opioid-related adverse events. The purpose of the investigation was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of multimodal opioid-free general anesthesia with transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in contrast with conventional opioid-based general anesthesia. Patients and Methods: Eighty patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and eventually 71 patients included in the analysis. They were randomly divided into an opioid-based anesthesia group (control group) with sufentanil or opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) group. Esketamine, dexmedetomidine, and TAP were as part of the OFA. Sevoflurane, dexamethasone, and muscle relaxants were administered intraoperatively to all patients. The primary outcome was antiemetic rescue within 24 hours after surgery. The secondary outcomes included pain scores, analgesic needs, extubation time, complications, the hemodynamic changes, and duration of hospital stay. Results: In contrast with the control group, the need for antiemetic rescue was significantly reduced (p= 0.035). Furthermore, the visual Analog Scale (VAS) for postoperative pain was considerably lower in the OFA group (p <0.01) than it was in the control group. There was no significant difference in the need for analgesic rescue in both groups (p= 0.155). Extubation time and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay duration were equal between the two groups (p =0.328 and p =0.54). At the end of the surgery and after extubation, hemodynamic changes was more pronounced in the OFA group (p =0.027) than the control group. The length of the hospital stay was significantly shorter compared with the control group (p =0.002). Conclusion: OFA with TAP results in a significant decrease in the need for antiemetic rescue, a lower level of pain after the surgery, and a shorter hospital stay in contrast with anesthesia based on opioids.

Mealtime prediction using wearable insulin pump data to support diabetes management.

Many patients with diabetes struggle with post-meal high blood glucose due to missed or untimely meal-related insulin doses. To address this challenge, our research aims to: (1) study mealtime patterns in patients with type 1 diabetes using wearable insulin pump data, and (2) develop personalized models for predicting future mealtimes to support timely insulin dose administration. Using two independent datasets with over 45,000 meal logs from 82 patients with diabetes, we find that the majority of people ( ∼ 60%) have irregular and inconsistent mealtime patterns that change notably through the course of each day and across months in their own historical data. We also show the feasibility of predicting future mealtimes with personalized LSTM-based models that achieve an average F1 score of > 95% with less than 0.25 false positives per day. Our research lays the groundwork for developing a meal prediction system that can nudge patients with diabetes to administer bolus insulin doses before meal consumption to reduce the occurrence of post-meal high blood glucose.

Opioid-free anesthesia improves postoperative recovery quality of small and medium-sized surgery: a prospective, randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Opioid anesthesia (OA) is currently the predominant anesthetic method. However, its associated side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, coupled with the principle of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), have spurred the adoption of opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) in select surgical procedures. For small and medium-sized operations, ERAS is particularly important. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of OFA, utilizing esketamine in combination with dexmedetomidine and sevoflurane, on postoperative recovery quality following small and medium-sized surgical interventions. METHODS: A total of 120 patients who underwent various small and medium-sized operations were randomly allocated to OFA and OA groups. The OA group received sufentanyl and sevoflurane, while the OFA group received esketamine, dexmedetomidine, and sevoflurane. The primary outcome measure was the postoperative quality of recovery-40 scores (QoR-40) 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included hemodynamic changes at different time intervals, the incidences of adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Patients in the OFA group exhibited a higher QoR-40 score of 184.0 (182.0, 186.2) compared to 182.0 (180.0, 184.0) in the OA group (P<0.001). The disparities were particularly noble in terms of Physical comfort and Emotional status. Multivariable analysis identified postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) as a significant independent factor impacting QoR-40 (ß=-4.49 [-6.1, -2.87], P<0.001). Hemodynamic stability was more pronounced in the OFA than in the OA group. The incidence of PONV was substantially lower in the OFA group (one [1.6%] vs. 14 [25%], P<0.001), with a reduced need for vasoactive drugs (five [7.8%] vs. 15 [26.8%], P=0.005), and a lower incidence of respiratory depression (0 [0%] vs. six [10.7%], P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: OFA improves the postoperative recovery quality in small and medium-sized surgical procedures, potentially attributed to decreased incidence of PONV. Additionally, OFA facilitates the maintenance of more stable hemodynamics throughout the operation.

Ubiquitination of NS1 Confers Differential Adaptation of Zika Virus in Mammalian Hosts and Mosquito Vectors.

Arboviruses, transmitted by medical arthropods, pose a serious health threat worldwide. During viral infection, Post Translational Modifications (PTMs) are present on both host and viral proteins, regulating multiple processes of the viral lifecycle. In this study, a mammalian E3 ubiquitin ligase WWP2 (WW domain containing E3 ubiquitin ligase 2) is identified, which interacts with the NS1 protein of Zika virus (ZIKV) and mediates K63 and K48 ubiquitination of Lys 265 and Lys 284, respectively. WWP2-mediated NS1 ubiquitination leads to NS1 degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, thereby inhibiting ZIKV infection in mammalian hosts. Simultaneously, it is found Su(dx), a protein highly homologous to host WWP2 in mosquitoes, is capable of ubiquitinating NS1 in mosquito cells. Unexpectedly, ubiquitination of NS1 in mosquitoes does not lead to NS1 degradation; instead, it promotes viral infection in mosquitoes. Correspondingly, the NS1 K265R mutant virus is less infectious to mosquitoes than the wild-type (WT) virus. The above results suggest that the ubiquitination of the NS1 protein confers different adaptations of ZIKV to hosts and vectors, and more importantly, this explains why NS1 K265-type strains have become predominantly endemic in nature. This study highlights the potential application in antiviral drug and vaccine development by targeting viral proteins' PTMs.

Study on the Pyrolysis and Fire Extinguishing Performance of High-Temperature-Resistant Ultrafine Dry Powder Fire Extinguishing Agents for Aviation Applications.

Ultrafine KAl(OH)2CO3 dry powder (UDWP), as a novel high-temperature-resistant ultrafine dry powder fire extinguishing agent, has garnered significant attention in the field of aviation fire protection. However, its development has been hindered by its hydrophilicity, which leads to hygroscopicity, and its tendency for re-ignition due to oil deposition. Therefore, this study employs perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (PFDTMS) to modify the surface of UDWP, resulting in hydrophobic and oleophobic M-UDWP. The thermal stability and hydrophobicity of M-UDWP ensure its long-term stable storage in aircraft equipment compartments, thereby reducing aircraft maintenance costs. Additionally, its oleophobicity provides excellent anti-re-ignition performance, protecting aircraft power compartments from secondary fire damage. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses indicate that the PFDTMS modifier was successfully grafted onto KAl(OH)2CO3. Furthermore, M-UDWP exhibits a three-stage thermal decomposition process. The first-stage decomposition can be regarded as a single-step reaction, and the calculated kinetic parameters provide accurate predictions. Thermogravimetric analysis-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-mass spectrometry (TG-FTIR-MS) results reveal that M-UDWP significantly produces H2O and CO2 during thermal decomposition, which is one of its core fire extinguishing mechanisms. For the combustion of #RP-3 and #RP-5 aviation kerosene, commonly found in aircraft engine nacelles, the extinguishing times required by M-UDWP are 243 ms and 224 ms, respectively, with minimum extinguishing concentrations (MEC) of 25.9 g/m3 and 23.4 g/m3, respectively. The study of M-UDWP's thermal stability aids in understanding its storage stability under high-temperature conditions and its fire extinguishing mechanisms in fire zones. Moreover, the research findings suggest that M-UDWP has the potential to replace Halon 1301 in aircraft engine nacelles.

Methane Adsorption and Desorption on Continental Shaly Matrix: Implications for Shale Gas Condensate Exploration and Production.

Shale gas condensate is a burgeoning unconventional resource with adsorbed methane (CH4) as its dominant component. Successful evaluation of marine shale gas gives limited insights into the evaluation of continental shale gas condensate due to their different occurrence patterns of organic matter and inorganic minerals and resultant contributions to pore development and CH4 ad-/desorption capability. To address this issue, we employed an advanced low-temperature oxygen plasma (LTOP) technology to extract organic matter from the continental shaly matrix. Results showed that the continental shaly matrix contains more clay minerals and less quartz, and develops fewer pores and fractures than typical marine shaly matrix. The organic matter-hosted pores instead of inorganic mineral-hosted pores are more weighted to the pore development in the continental shaly matrix. However, the inorganic minerals of the continental shaly matrix contribute more to CH4 adsorption capability than the organic matter, which could be attributed to the higher density of available adsorption sites toward CH4. Besides, the CH4 ad-/desorption hysteresis is more pronounced for the organic matter-free continental shaly matrix than the raw continental shaly matrix, which is attributed to the remarkable CH4 adsorption-induced clay mineral swelling. Overall, the effects of inorganic minerals in CH4 adsorption and desorption, particularly clay minerals, are crucial for continental shale gas condensate exploration and production.

Colored Radiative Cooling and Flame-Retardant Polyurethane-Based Coatings: Selective Absorption/Reflection in Solar Waveband.

The aesthetic demand has become an imperative challenge to advance the practical and commercial application of daytime radiative cooling technology toward mitigating climate change. Meanwhile, the application of radiative cooling materials usually focuses on the building surface, related tightly to fire safety. Herein, the absorption and reflection spectra of organic and inorganic colorants are first compared in solar waveband, finding that iron oxides have higher reflectivity in NIR region. Second, three kinds of iron oxides-based colorants are selected to combine porous structure and silicon-modified ammonium polyphosphate (Si-APP) to engineer colored polyurethane-based (PU) coating, thus enhancing the reflectivity and flame retardancy. Together with reflectivity of more than 90% in near-infrared waveband and infrared emissivity of ≈91%, average temperature drops of ≈5.7, ≈7.9, and ≈3.8 °C are achieved in porous PU/Fe2O3/Si-APP, porous PU/Fe2O3·H2O/Si-APP, and porous PU/Fe3O4·H2O/Si-APP, compared with dense control samples. The catalysis effect of iron oxides in the cross-linking reaction of pyrolysis products and dehydration mechanism of Si-APP enable PU coating to produce an intumescent and protective char residue. Consequently, PU composite coatings demonstrate desirable fire safety. The ingenious choice of colorants effectively minimizes the solar heating effect and trades off the daytime radiative cooling and aesthetic appearance requirement.

A Study of Omentum Reduction on the Improvement of Nausea and vomiting and Gastroesophageal Reflux Symptoms After Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Resection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of omentum reduction in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) on the improvement of postoperative nausea and vomiting and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on the case data of 198 obese patients who underwent LSG in the Department of Obesity and Metabolic Diseases of Xiaolan People's Hospital of Zhongshan from March 2021 to March 2022 and were divided into omentum reduction group and control group, with 99 cases in each group, and the preoperative body mass index (BMI) of the patients was recorded. Age, gender, comorbidities, and comparative analysis of operation time, blood loss, length of hospital stay, postoperative nausea and vomiting score, gastroesophageal reflux GerdQ score, postoperative pain score, weight, and postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in preoperative BMI, age, gender and comorbidities between the two groups (P > 0.05), but there were significant differences in intraoperative blood loss and operation time (P < 0.05). There were differences in postoperative nausea and vomiting scores and VAS pain scores between the two groups (P < 0.05). The GerdQ scores of the omental reduction group were 8.11 ± 2.84 points at 1 year, and those in the control group were 7.56 ± 2.67 points, which were 3.97 ± 4.09 points higher than those in the preoperative omentum reduction group and 3.42 ± 3.41 in the control group, with no significant difference (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the postoperative excess weight loss rate %EWL and postoperative complications (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Omentum reduction can improve short-term nausea and vomiting after LSG, but it cannot significantly improve long-term reflux symptoms.

Correlations between plasma markers and brain Aß deposition across the AD continuum: Evidence from SILCODE.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found that Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related plasma markers are associated with amyloid beta (Aß) deposition, but the change of this association in different Aß pathological stages remains unclear. METHODS: Data were obtained from the SILCODE. According to the standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) and Aß stage classification, correlation analysis was performed among plasma biomarkers, and voxel/SUVR values in the regions of interest (ROI) and clinical scale information, respectively. Mediation analysis was used to study the possible pathways. RESULTS: The proportion of cognitively normal (CN) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) was the highest in stages A0 to 1, while in stages A2 to 4, the proportion of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD increased. Plasma phosphorylated tau (p-tau)181 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels were significantly lower in stage A0 compared to the later phases. Two pathways demonstrated fully mediated effects: positron emission tomography (PET) SUVR-plasma p-tau181-Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and PET SUVR-plasma GFAP-MMSE. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrated the role of plasma biomarkers in the early stage of AD, especially in SCD, from both the clinical diagnosis and Aß stage dimensions. HIGHLIGHTS: Plasma ptau181 and GFAP level serve as indicators of early Alzheimer's disease and the pathologic Aß staging classification. A possible ceiling effect of GFAP was observed in the mid-to-late stages of the AD course. This study confirms the role of AD plasma markers in promoting Aß deposition at an early stage, particularly in females with subjective cognitive decline(SCD). The overlapping brain regions of plasma p-tau181, GFAP, and neurofilament light for Aß deposition in the brain in early AD were distributed across various regions, including the posterior cingulate gyrus, rectus gyrus, and inferior temporal gyrus.

Electroacupuncture Combined with Chinese Medicine Ironing Therapy for Functional Constipation.

Functional constipation (FC) is a dysfunctional gastrointestinal disease with the main clinical manifestations of complex bowel movements, incomplete bowel movements, reduced frequency of bowel movements, and dry and hard stools, which seriously affect patients' quality of life and psychology. Electroacupuncture improves constipation by performing acupuncture on specific points in the body to accelerate intestinal peristalsis. Chinese medicine ironing therapy (CMIT) can warm up the meridians, accelerate local blood circulation, promote gastrointestinal dynamics, and accelerate gastric emptying. This study elaborated on the method and steps of electroacupuncture combined with CMIT for functional constipation, including patient selection, material preparation, operation procedure, postoperative care, and precautions. The therapeutic effect of the method was also evaluated. The results of the study showed that after 4 weeks of treatment, compared with Western medicine alone, electroacupuncture combined with CMIT can improve the frequency of FC patients' voluntary bowel movements, constipation, and quality of life. There were no obvious adverse reactions.

Huangtu decoction alleviates chronic diarrhea of spleen-yang deficiency in mice by altering host metabolome and intestinal microbiota composition.

BACKGROUND: Huangtu decoction (HTD), a traditional Chinese medicine recipe, warms the spleen, nourishes the blood, and stops bleeding. It has been used to treat dysentery, gastrointestinal bleeding, diarrhea, and other symptoms caused by spleen-yang deficiency for more than 2,000 years in China. However, the mechanism underlying the treatment of chronic diarrhea due to spleen-yang deficiency (CDSD) using HTD remains unclear. AIMS: This study investigated whether HTD could mediate intestinal flora and serum metabolites to improve CDSD symptoms using a mouse model. METHODS: A CDSD mouse model induced by senna and an abnormal diet was constructed. The regulatory effects of HTD at 12.5, 25.0, and 50.0 g/kg/d on CDSD mice were assessed by measuring their bodyweight, diarrhea rate, loose stool rate, and histopathology. Changes in the intestinal flora of CDSD mice were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Untargeted serum metabolomic analysis was performed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). RESULTS: HTD had a modulating effect on CDSD by reducing the weight loss, diarrhea rate, loose stool rate, and pathologic damage. Intestinal flora analysis showed that HTD altered the community composition by decreasing the abundance of Allobaculum, Lactobacillus, and Ruminococcus. Serum metabolomics revealed that ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, aldosterone synthesis and secretion, platelet activation, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 signaling pathway, inositol phosphate metabolism, phosphatidylinositol signaling, galactose metabolism, and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism were modulated after HTD treatment. CONCLUSION: HTD may alleviate CDSD symptoms by reducing weight loss, diarrhea rate, loose stool rate, and pathologic damage caused by modeling and regulating intestinal flora and serum metabolites in CDSD mice.

Three Polyhedron-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks Exhibiting Excellent Acetylene Selective Adsorption.

The separation of acetylene (C2H2) from ethylene (C2H4) and ethane (C2H6) is crucial for the production of high-purity C2H2 and the recovery of other gases. Polyhedron-based metal-organic frameworks (PMOFs) are characterized by their spacious cavities, which facilitate gas trapping, and cage windows with varying sizes that enable gas screening. In this study, we carefully selected a class of PMOFs based on V-type tetracarboxylic acid linker (JLU-Liu22 containing benzene ring, JLU-Liu46 containing urea group and recombinant reconstructed In/Cu CBDA on the basis of JLU-Liu46) to study the relationship between pore environment and C2 adsorption and separation performance. Among the three compounds, JLU-Liu46 exhibits superior selectivity toward C2H2/C2H4 (2.06) as well as C2H2/C2H6 (2.43). Comparative structural analysis reveals that the exceptional adsorbed-C2H2 performance of JLU-Liu46 can be attributed to the synergistic effects arising from coordinatively unsaturated Cu sites combined with an optimal pore environment (matched pore size and polarity, urea functional group), resulting in a strong affinity between the framework and C2H2 molecules. Furthermore, transient breakthrough simulations of JLU-Liu46 confirmed its potential for separating C2H2 in ternary C2 gas.

A high-accuracy measurement procedure for salbutamol, ractopamine, and clenbuterol in pork by isotope dilution-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

In-depth research into the precise evaluation of enzymatic digestion efficiency and the selection of a suitable deuterium-labelled internal standard remains a gap in the accurate determination of ß2-agonists in animal-derived food by isotope dilution-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS). In this study, the enzymatic digestion conditions were optimized by monitoring the presence of ß2-agonist conjugates in positive samples, which proved to be reliable for ensuring complete enzymatic digestion. Comparative analysis of deuterium-labelled internal standards for salbutamol (SAL), ractopamine (RAC), and clenbuterol (CLB) revealed that CLB-D6 and SAL-D9 were less effective in compensating for matrix effects due to hydrogen­deuterium exchange during MS fragment formation. Consequently, SAL-D3, RAC-D3 and CLB-D9 were chosen for the implementation of ID-LC-MS/MS. The developed method demonstrates high accuracy and precision, with the average recoveries ranging from 93.8% to 107.3% with RSD <6.1%, which can provide higher-order measurement results for ß2-agonists in pork.