Zincophilic Nanospheres Assembled as Solid-Electrolyte Interphase on Zn Metal Anodes for Reversible High-rate Zn-Ion Storage.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are considered to be one of the most promising energy storage devices in the post-lithium-ion era with fast ionic conductivity, safety, and low cost. However, excessive accumulation of zinc dendrites will fracture and produce dead zinc, resulting in the unsatisfied utilization rate of Zn anodes, which greatly restricts the lifespan of the battery and reduces the reversibility. In this paper, by constructing a protective layer of ZnSnO3 hollow nanospheres in situ growth on the surface of the Zn anode, more zincophilic sites are established on the electrode surface. It demonstrates that uniform deposition of Zn ions by deepening the binding energy with Zn ion and its unique hollow structure shortens the diffusion distance of Zn ions and enhances the reaction kinetics. The assembled Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitor (ZHSC) of ZnSnO3@Zn//AC achieved a long-term lifespan with 4000 cycles at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a Coulombic efficiency of 99.31% and capacity retention of 79.6%. This work offers a new path for advanced Zn anodes interphase supporting the long cycle life with large capacities and improving electrochemical reversibility.

Voltage-gated sodium channel gene mutation and P450 gene expression are associated with the resistance of Aphis spiraecola Patch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to lambda-cyhalothrin.

Aphis spiraecola Patch is one of the most economically important tree fruit pests worldwide. The pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin is commonly used to control A. spiraecola. In this 2-year study, we quantified the resistance level of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin in different regions of the Shaanxi province, China. The results showed that A. spiraecola had reached extremely high resistance levels with a 174-fold resistance ratio (RR) found in the Xunyi region. In addition, we compared the enzymatic activity and expression level of P450 genes among eight A. spiraecola populations. The P450 activity of A. spiraecola was significantly increased in five regions (Xunyi, Liquan, Fengxiang, Luochuan, and Xinping) compared to susceptible strain (SS). The expression levels of CYP6CY7, CYP6CY14, CYP6CY22, P4504C1-like, P4506a13, CYP4CZ1, CYP380C47, and CYP4CJ2 genes were significantly increased under lambda-cyhalothrin treatment and in the resistant field populations. A L1014F mutation in the sodium channel gene was found and the mutation rate was positively correlated with the LC50 of lambda-cyhalothrin. In conclusion, the levels of lambda-cyhalothrin resistance of A. spiraecola field populations were associated with P450s and L1014F mutations. Our combined findings provide evidence on the resistance mechanism of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin and give a theoretical basis for rational and effective control of this pest species.

Motor domain-mediated autoinhibition dictates axonal transport by the kinesin UNC-104/KIF1A.

The UNC-104/KIF1A motor is crucial for axonal transport of synaptic vesicles, but how the UNC-104/KIF1A motor is activated in vivo is not fully understood. Here, we identified point mutations located in the motor domain or the inhibitory CC1 domain, which resulted in gain-of-function alleles of unc-104 that exhibit hyperactive axonal transport and abnormal accumulation of synaptic vesicles. In contrast to the cell body localization of wild type motor, the mutant motors accumulate on neuronal processes. Once on the neuronal process, the mutant motors display dynamic movement similarly to wild type motors. The gain-of-function mutation on the motor domain leads to an active dimeric conformation, releasing the inhibitory CC1 region from the motor domain. Genetically engineered mutations in the motor domain or CC1 of UNC-104, which disrupt the autoinhibitory interface, also led to the gain of function and hyperactivation of axonal transport. Thus, the CC1/motor domain-mediated autoinhibition is crucial for UNC-104/KIF1A-mediated axonal transport in vivo.

Moisture-Adaptive Contractile Biopolymer-Derived Fibers for Wound Healing Promotion.

The advancement in thermosensitive active hydrogels has opened promising opportunities to dynamic full-thickness skin wound healing. However, conventional hydrogels lack breathability to avoid wound infection and cannot adapt to wounds with different shapes due to the isotropic contraction. Herein, a moisture-adaptive fiber that rapidly absorbs wound tissue fluid and produces a large lengthwise contractile force during the drying process is reported. The incorporation of hydroxyl-rich silica nanoparticles in the sodium alginate/gelatin composite fiber greatly improves the hydrophilicity, toughness, and axial contraction performance of the fiber. This fiber exhibits a dynamic contractile behavior as a function of humidity, generating ≈15% maximum contraction strain or ≈24 MPa maximum isometric contractile stress. The textile knitted by the fibers features excellent breathability and generates adaptive contraction in the target direction during the natural desorption of tissue fluid from the wounds. In vivo animal experiments further demonstrate the advantages of the textiles over traditional dressings in accelerating wound healing.

Triggering High Capacity and Superior Reversibility of Manganese Oxides Cathode via Magnesium Modulation for Zn//MnO2 Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted extensive attention in recent years because of its high volumetric energy density, the abundance of zinc resources, and safety. However, ZIBs still suffer from poor reversibility and sluggish kinetics derived from the unstable cathodic structure and the strong electrostatic interactions between bivalent Zn2+ and cathodes. Herein, magnesium doping into layered manganese dioxide (Mg-MnO2 ) via a simple hydrothermal method as cathode materials for ZIBs is proposed. The interconnected nanoflakes of Mg-MnO2 possess a larger specific surface area compared to pristine δ-MnO2 , providing more electroactive sites and boosting the capacity of batteries. The ion diffusion coefficients of Mg-MnO2 can be enhanced due to the improved electrical conductivity by doped cations and oxygen vacancies in MnO2 lattices. The assembled Zn//Mg-MnO2 battery delivers a high specific capacity of 370 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.6 A g-1 . Furthermore, the reaction mechanism confirms that Zn2+ insertion occurred after a few cycles of activation reactions. Most important, the reversible redox reaction between Zn2+ and MnOOH is found after several charge-discharge processes, promoting capacity and stability. It believes that this systematic research enlightens the design of high-performance of ZIBs and facilitates the practical application of Zn//MnO2 batteries.

Fabrication of high-performance carbon nanotube/copper composite fibers by interface thiol-modification.

Carbon nanotube (CNT)/copper (Cu) composite fibers are placed great expectations as the next generation of light-weight, conductive wires. However, the electrical and mechanical performances still need to be enhanced. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy that is electrodeposition Cu on thiolated CNT fibers to solve the grand challenge which is enhancing the performance of CNT/Cu composite fibers. Thiol groups are introduced to the surface of the CNT fibers through a controllable O2plasma carboxylation process and amide reaction. Compared with CNT/Cu composite fibers, there are 82.7% and 29.6% improvements in electrical conductivity and tensile strength of interface thiol-modification composite fibers. The enhancement mechanism is also explored that thiolated CNT fibers could make strong interactions between Cu and CNT, enhancing the electrical and mechanical performance of CNT/Cu composites. This work proposes a convenient, heat-treatment-free strategy for high-performance CNT/Cu composite fibers, which can be manufactured for large-scale production and applied to next-generation conductive wires.

Ceramide kinase mediates intrinsic resistance and inferior response to chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer by upregulating Ras/ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways.

BACKGROUND: Clinical management of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients remain challenging because of the development of chemo-resistance. Identification of biomarkers for risk stratification of chemo-resistance and therapeutic decision-making to overcome such resistance is thus necessary. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed to identify potential stratification biomarkers. The levels of ceramide kinase (CERK) was determined in breast cancer patients. The roles of CERK and its downstream signaling pathways were analysed using cellular and biochemical assays. RESULTS: CERK upregulation was identified as a biomarker for chemotherapeutic response in TNBC. A > 2-fold change in CERK (from tumor)/CERK (from normal counterpart) was significantly associated with chemo-resistance (OR = 2.66, 95% CI 1.18-7.34), P = 0.04. CERK overexpression was sufficient to promote TNBC growth and migration, and confer chemo-resistance in TNBC cell lines, although this resistance could be overcome via CERK inhibition. Mechanistic studies suggest that CERK mediates intrinsic resistance and inferior response to chemotherapy in TNBC by regulating multiple oncogenic pathways such as Ras/ERK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and RhoA. CONCLUSIONS: Our work provides an explanation for the heterogeneity of chemo-response across TNBC patients and demonstrates that CERK inhibition offers a therapeutic strategy to overcome treatment resistance.

Anomalous infrared transmission of indium tin oxide thin films on two-dimensional nanosphere arrays.

The excitation of surface plasmons was studied by nano-structural indium tin oxide (ITO) films in the infrared range using nano-imprint lithography (NIL). We investigated the effect of the diameter of silica spheres, thickness of ITO film, and ordering degree of the mask plate on the transmission spectra of structural ITO films by experiments and simulations. Increasing the diameter of silica spheres makes the transmission valley blueshift, while increasing the thickness of ITO film leads the transmission valley redshift. The transmission valley corresponds to the absorption band which results from the excitation of surface plasmons. The ordering degree and the surface coverage ratios of mask plate affect the transmission feature directly. An excitation of local surface plasmons may exist on the undulated ITO surface.

Assessment of liver fibrosis by variable flip angle T1 mapping at 3.0T.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the possibility of using a variable flip angle (VFA) T1 mapping technique to diagnose liver fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Liver fibrosis was induced in rabbits by repetitive administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ). T1 -weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 29 animals (liver fibrosis, n = 18; control, n = 11) using a series of nonenhanced liver acquisition volume acceleration (LAVA) with VFAs at 3.0T. Hepatic T1 relaxation times were measured via regions of interest, which were correlated with subsequent histologic confirmation. The results of T1 mapping in assessment of liver fibrosis were compared with that of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. RESULTS: The mean T1 relaxation time of the control group was the lowest (250.07 ± 88.12 msec), followed by the nonadvanced fibrosis group (387.83 ± 166.58 msec) and the advanced fibrosis group (496.90 ± 291.24 msec). T1 relaxation time measurements differed significantly between the liver fibrosis group and control group (P < 0.05), with a trend of increased mean T1 relaxation times as the fibrotic stage increased. Statistically significant differences were observed between the control group and the nonadvanced fibrosis group (P < 0.05), however with much overlap between the less severe stages. In discriminating between the control group and liver fibrosis group, stage F0-1 (control and stage F1) and stage F2-3, stage F0-2 (control and stage F1-2) and stage F3, area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were 0.803 (cutoff value 273.01 msec), 0.712 (cutoff value 371.54 msec), and 0.696 (cutoff value 276.99 msec), respectively. No difference was found between T1 relaxation times and ADC values in assessment of liver fibrosis in our study. CONCLUSION: VFA T1 mapping may become a noninvasive imaging tool for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis.

Assessment of liver fibrosis using pharmacokinetic parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in diagnosing and staging liver fibrosis in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DCE-MRI with gadodiamide (Gd-DTPA-BMA) was performed on a 3.0 Tesla, 60 cm bore MR scanner for rabbits with CCl4 -induced liver fibrosis, and an untreated control group. Fibrosis was staged according to the METAVIR system: control (F0; n = 13), nonadvanced fibrosis (F1-2; n = 15), and advanced fibrosis (F3-4; n = 12). The DCE-MRI parameters K(trans) , kep , Ve , and vp were measured with a dual-input extended Tofts model. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of K(trans) , Ve , and vp in staging liver fibrosis. RESULTS: Both K(trans) and Ve decreased with increasing fibrosis stage. K(trans) of the control group was significantly different from that of the overall fibrosis group, nonadvanced group, and advanced group (P < 0.001 for all). Significant differences were found between Ve of the control group and that of the overall fibrosis and advanced groups (P = 0.019 and P = 0.009, respectively). For K(trans) , the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCs) for discriminating the control group from the overall fibrosis and advanced fibrosis groups were 0.909 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.809-1.000), and 0.936 (95% CI,0.847-1.000), respectively. For discriminating between the control and nonadvanced fibrosis groups, the AUROC of K(trans) was 0.887 (95% CI, 0.762-1.000). The AUROCs of K(trans) were higher than those of Ve and vp for discriminating between the control and overall fibrosis groups, the control and nonadvanced fibrosis groups, and the control and advanced fibrosis groups. Pharmacokinetic parameters were negatively correlated with fibrosis stage (K(trans) , rho = -0.668, P < 0.001; Ve , rho = -0.438, P = 0.005; vp , rho = -0.360, P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: Among pharmacokinetic parameters of DCE-MRI in our study, K(trans) was an excellent predictor for differentiating fibrotic livers from normal livers, and differentiating normal livers from nonadvanced or advanced fibrosis livers. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:98-104.

Large-diameter compression arteries as a possible facilitating factor for trigeminal neuralgia: analysis of axial and radial diffusivity.

BACKGROUND: Neurovascular compression (NVC) of the trigeminal nerve is associated with trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Some arteries that compress the trigeminal nerve are large, while others are small. This study evaluated the influence of diameter of compression arteries (DCA) on NVC with and without TN using axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. METHODS: Fifty TN patients with unilateral NVC, 50 asymptomatic patients with unilateral NVC, and 50 healthy controls (HC) were divided into three groups (NVC with TN, NVC without TN, and HC). The three groups were imaged with a 3.0-T MR system using three-dimensional fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (3D FIESTA) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We compared the mean size of DCA between NVC with and without TN. The mean values of AD and RD at the site of NVC were compared between the three groups. Correlation analyses were performed between the DCA and the diffusion metrics (AD and RD) in NVC patients with and without TN. RESULTS: The mean DCA in NVC patients with TN (1.58 ± 0.34 mm) was larger than that without TN (0.89 ± 0.29 mm). Compared with NVC without TN and HC, the mean values of RD at the site of NVC with TN were significantly increased; however, no significant changes of AD were found between the groups. Correlation analysis showed that DCA positively correlated with RD in NVC patients with and without TN (r = 0.830, p = 0.000). No significant correlation was found between DCA and AD (r = 0.178, p = 0.077). CONCLUSIONS: Larger-diameter compression arteries may increase the chances of TN, and may be a possible facilitating factor for TN.

Indium Nitride Nanowires: Low Redox Potential Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are crucial to portable devices and electric vehicles. However, it is still challenging to further develop the current anodic materials such as graphite due to the intrinsic limited capacity and sluggish Li-ion diffusion. Indium nitride (InN), which is a new type of anodic material with low redox potential (<0.7 V vs Li/Li+) and narrow bandgap (0.69 eV), may serve as a new high-energy density anode material for LIBs. Here, the growth of 1D single crystalline InN nanowires is reported on Au-decorated carbon fibers (InN/Au-CFs) via chemical vapor deposition, possessing a high aspect ratio of 400. The binder-free Au-CFs with high conductivity can provide abundant sites and enhance binding force for the dense growth of InN nanowires, displaying shortened Li ion diffusion paths, high structural stability, and fast Li+ kinetics. The InN/Au-CFs can offer stable and high-rate Li delithiation/lithiation without Li deposition, and achieve a remarkable capacity of 632.5 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 450 cycles and 416 mAh g-1 at a high rate of 30 A g-1. The InN nanowires as battery anodes shall hold substantial promise for fulfilling superior long-term cycling performance and high-rate capability for advanced LIBs.

Enhanced Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Properties of CNT/Carbon Composites by Designing a Hierarchical Porous Structure.

With the widespread use of electronic devices, electromagnetic interference (EMI) has become an increasingly severe issue, adversely affecting device performance and human health. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are recognized for their electrical conductivity, flexibility, and stability, making them promising candidates for EMI shielding applications. This research developed hierarchical porous-structured CNT/carbon composites for enhancing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties. Featuring a CNT film with nano-scale pores and an amorphous carbon layer with micro-scale pores, the CNT/carbon composites are strategically arranged to promote the penetration of EM waves into the composite's interior and facilitate multiple reflections, thereby improving the EMI shielding performance. An impressive EMI shielding effectiveness of 61.4 dB was achieved by the CNT/carbon composites, marking a significant improvement over the 36.5 dB measured for the pristine CNT film. Owing to the micro pores in the amorphous carbon layer, a notable reduction in the reflection shielding efficiency (SER) but, concurrently, a substantial increase in the absorption shielding efficiency (SEA) compared with the pristine CNT film was realized in the composites. This study successfully validated the effectiveness of the hierarchical porous structure in enhancing the EMI shielding performance, providing a promising new strategy for the development of lightweight, flexible, and efficient EMI shielding materials.

Diffusion tensor imaging for predicting the clinical outcome of delayed encephalopathy of acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between neuropsychiatric outcomes and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP). METHODS AND MATERIALS: 66 patients and 60 healthy controls were included in this study. Median fractional anisotropy (FA) of the white matter (WM) bilaterally was compared between patients and healthy controls. The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) was assessed at 4-6 months following DEACMP. The association between the GOS score and FA variables was explored using the Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS: The FA values in WM were reduced in patients with DEACMP compared with those in the volunteers. Of the 66 patients, 21 (31.8%) achieved a good outcome (GOS-5), 26 (36.4%) had moderate disability (GOS-4), 14 (21.2%) had severe disability (GOS-3), 5 (7.6%) were in a vegetative state (GOS-2), and none of the patients died (GOS-1). The FA values in the WM in patients with DEACMP correlated significantly with GOS. CONCLUSION: DTI may be a valuable tool for assessing the severity of brain injury and may be a predictor of outcome in patients with delayed encephalopathy of acute carbon monoxide poisoning. DTI may be a valuable tool for assessing the severity of tissue injury and may be a predictor of outcome.

Amorphous Mixed-Vanadium-Tungsten Oxide Films as Optically Passive Ion Storage Materials for Solid-State Near-Infrared Electrochromic Devices.

Near infrared (NIR) electrochromic (EC) devices that selectively modulate the NIR light without affecting the daylight represent a promising window technology for saving energy consumption of buildings. Current research efforts have been focused on developing NIR-EC materials, while little attention has been directed to the optically passive ion storage materials that are crucial for balancing charges in a full NIR-EC device. Herein, we report that amorphous phase mixed-vanadium-tungsten oxide films exhibit minimum optical change with high ion storage capacity, which enables the usage of the mixed-metal oxides as optically passive counter electrode materials for NIR-EC devices. The mixed-vanadium-tungsten oxide films are synthesized by a room-temperature solution-based photodeposition method that allows us to precisely engineer the metal compositions and thicknesses of the mixed-metal oxide films, thus optimizing their optical inertness and ion storage capability. A solid-state NIR-EC device assembled with the mixed-vanadium-tungsten oxide film as an ion storage layer and the amorphous tungsten oxide hydrate as the NIR-EC layer shows fast response speed with cycling stability up to 10,000 cycles, proving the outstanding charge balancing capability of mixed-metal oxide. Our work provides an efficient strategy for developing optically passive ion storage films with high ion storage capability for high-performance EC devices.

Seasonal dynamics of soil nitrogen mineralization and their influencing factors during shrub anthropogenic introduction in desert steppe.

We selected enclosed grassland, grazed grassland and shrublands with different planting years (3, 12, 22 years)/densities (intervals of 2, 6, 40 m) to investigate soil N mineralization dynamics in the growing season (April-October) and its influencing factors during the process of desert steppe-degradation-shrub introduction. The results showed that soil moisture at 0-200 cm layer was decreased with increases of shrub age and density, and that the variations of soil moisture at 0-10 cm layer coincided with seasonal change. Compared with grazed grassland and enclosed grassland, the positive effect of shrubs on soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents first increased and then decreased with the increases of age and density. Moreover, soil N mineralization significantly varied across months and sites. Soil NO3- content and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were significantly higher from June to August. The proportion of NO3- to inorganic nitrogen significantly increased from 30.5% in enclosed grassland to 69.5% in shrublands. NH4+ content was mainly affected by months compared with sites. In the process of steppe-degradation-shrub introduction, the increases of shrub age and density significantly enhanced seasonal differences of soil nitrification and ammonification, but not on the seasonal mineralization of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen. Soil NH4+ and NO3- contents were significantly and positively correlated with total nitrogen, organic carbon and N/P. Soil stoichiometric ratios (C/N and N/P) directly regulated N mineralization process.

Cerium-Doped Indium Oxide as a Top Electrode of Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells.

Semitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs) play a very important role in high-efficiency tandem solar cells and building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). One of the main challenges for high-performance ST-PSCs is to obtain suitable top-transparent electrodes by appropriate methods. Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films, as the most widely used transparent electrodes, are also adopted in ST-PSCs. However, the possible ion bombardment damage during the TCO deposition and the relatively high postannealing temperature usually required for high-quality TCO films is not conducive to improving the performance of the perovskite solar cells with low ion bombardment and temperature tolerances. Herein, cerium-doped indium oxide (ICO) thin films are prepared by reactive plasma deposition (RPD) at substrate temperatures below 60 °C. A high carrier mobility of 50.26 cm2 V-1 s-1, a low resistivity of 7.18 × 10-4 Ω·cm, and an average transmittance of 86.53% in the wavelength range of 400-800 nm and 87.37% in the wavelength range of 800-1200 nm are achieved. The RPD-prepared ICO film is used as a transparent electrode on top of the ST-PSCs (band gap ∼1.68 eV), and photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.96% is achieved on the champion device.

Barley ß-glucan inhibits digestion of soybean oil in vitro and lipid-lowering effects of digested products in cell co-culture model.

The effect of barley ß-glucan on soybean oil digestion characteristics before and after fermentation was studied in an in vitro-simulated gastrointestinal digestion model. The addition of barley ß-glucan made the system more unstable, the particle size increased significantly, and confocal laser imaging showed that it was easier to form agglomerates. The addition of barley ß-glucan increased the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in digestion products, and reduced digestibility of soybean oil. In a co-culture model of Caco-2/HT29 and HepG2 cells, the effects of digestive products of soybean oil and barley ß-glucan before and after fermentation on lipid metabolism in HepG2 cells were investigated. The results showed that adding only soybean oil digestion products significantly increased triglycerides (TG) content and lipid accumulation in basolateral HepG2 cells. When fermented barley ß-glucan was added, lipid deposition was significantly decreased, and the lipid-lowering activity was better than that of unfermented barley ß-glucan.

Metabolomics reveals the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1 fermentation on the lipid-lowering capacity of barley ß-glucans in an in vitro model of gut-liver axis.

Bioactive polysaccharides known as the biological response modifiers, can directly interact with intestinal epithelium cells (IEC) and regulate key metabolic processes such as lipid metabolism. Here, the coculture of Caco-2/HT29 monolayer (>400 Ω × cm2) and HepG2 cells was developed to mimic the gut-liver interactions. This system was used to investigate the effects of raw and fermented barley ß-glucans (RBG and FBG) on lipid metabolism by directly interacting with IEC. Both RBG and FBG significantly and consistently reduced the lipid droplets and triacylglycerol levels in monoculture and coculture of HepG2 overloaded with oleic acid. Notably, FBG significantly and distinctly elevated PPARα (p < 0.05) and PPARα-responsive ACOX-1 (p < 0.01) gene expressions, promoting lipid degradation in cocultured HepG2. Moreover, the metabolomics analyses revealed that FBG had a unique impact on extracellular metabolites, among them, the differential metabolite thiomorpholine 3-carboxylate was significantly and strongly correlated with PPARα (r = -0.68, p < 0.01) and ACOX-1 (r = -0.76, p < 0.01) expression levels. Taken together, our findings suggest that FBG-mediated gut-liver interactions play a key role in its lipid-lowering effects that are superior to those of RBG. These results support the application of Lactiplantibacillus fermentation for improving hypolipidemic outcomes.

Psychological interventions for the prevention of depression relapse: systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Depression is highly prevalent and easily relapses. Psychological interventions are effective for the prevention of depression relapse. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy at the same follow-up time points of psychological interventions in depression. We searched PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO via OVID, and the Cochrane Library published up to December 12, 2021, and PubMed up to July 1, 2022. The primary outcome was depression relapse, considering the same time points that were extracted on survival curves or relapse curves. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022343327. A total of 2,871 patients were included from 25 RCTs. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was significantly better than placebo at the 3 months, the 6 months, and the 9 months at follow-up. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was significantly better than treatment as usual at the 3 months, the 9 months, the 12 months, and the 15 months at follow-up. CBT was significantly better than placebo at the 21 months and the 24 months at follow-up. Behavioral activation therapy was significantly better than placebo at the 21 months and the 24 months at follow-up. Interpersonal psychotherapy was significantly better than placebo at the 24-month follow-up. All psychological interventions included in the study were significantly better than supportive counseling most of the time. The results were robust in various sensitivity and subgroup analyses. In conclusion, MBCT had a continuous effect in preventing relapse of depression. CBT had the longest but not continuous effect in preventing relapse of depression. The effects of behavioral activation therapy and interpersonal therapy for the prevention of depression appeared late. All psychological interventions included in the study were more effective than supportive counseling. More evidence is needed from large comparative trials that provide long-term follow-up data.