Discovery of dolutegravir-1,2,3-triazole derivatives against prostate cancer via inducing DNA damage.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among men, causing a huge number of deaths each year. Traditional chemotherapy for PCa mostly focused on targeting androgen receptors. However, some of the patients would develop resistance to hormonal therapy. In these cases, it is suggested for these patients to administer treatments in combination with other chemotherapeutics. Current chemotherapeutics for metastatic castration-resistant PCa could hardly reach satisfying effects, therefore it is crucial to explore novel agents with low cytotoxicity. Herein, a common drug against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the dolutegravir (DTG) was modified to become a series of dolutegravir-1,2,3-triazole derivatives. Among these compounds, the 4d and 4q derivatives were verified with high anti-tumor efficiency, suppressing the proliferation of the prostate cancer cells PC3 and DU145. These compounds function by binding to the poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP), inactivating the PARP and inducing DNA damage in cancer cells. It is noteworthy that the 4d and 4q derivatives showed almost no impact on normal cells and mice. Thereby, the results reveal that these dolutegravir-1,2,3-triazole compounds are potential chemotherapeutics for PCa treatment.

A carrier-free supramolecular nano-twin-drug for overcoming irinotecan-resistance and enhancing efficacy against colorectal cancer.

Irinotecan (Ir) is commonly employed as a first-line chemotherapeutic treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, tremendous impediments remain to be addressed to surmount drug resistance and ameliorate adverse events. Poly-ADP-Ribose Polymerase (PARP) participates in the maintenance of genome stability and the repair of DNA damage, thus playing a critical role in chemotherapy resistance. In this work, we introduce a novel curative strategy that utilizes nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by dynamic supramolecular co-assembly of Ir and a PARP inhibitor (PARPi) niraparib (Nir) through π-π stacking and hydrogen bond interactions. The Ir and Nir self-assembled Nano-Twin-Drug of (Nir-Ir NPs) could enhance the therapeutic effect on CRC by synergistically inhibiting the DNA damage repair pathway and activating the tumor cell apoptosis process without obvious toxicity. In addition, the Nir-Ir NPs could effectively reverse irinotecan-resistance by inhibiting the expression of multiple resistance protein-1 (MRP-1). Overall, our study underscores the distinctive advantages and potential of Nir-Ir NPs as a complementary strategy to chemotherapy by simultaneously overcoming the Ir resistance and improving the anti-tumor efficacy against CRC.

The role of the extension region on the structural and physicochemical characteristics of the α-subunit of ß-conglycinin: implications of pH value and ionic strength.

BACKGROUND: To clarify the role of the extension region on the structure-functional relationship of the α-subunit of ß-conglycinin, α-subunit and its segment of the core region (αc-subunit) were expressed via an Escherichia coli system. Their physicochemical properties were compared under acid, neutral or alkaline conditions (pH 4.0, 7.0, and 8.0) and high or low ionic strength (µ = 0.05 and 0.5), respectively. RESULTS: The results showed that the extension region contributed to increasing thermal stability, especially at low ionic strength under acidic and neutral conditions. The extension region stabilized the α-subunit with high solubility, low turbidity, and small particle size under neutral and alkaline conditions, whereas these impacts were suppressed at a high ionic strength and acidic conditions. Surface hydrophobicity of the α-subunit decreased under acidic and alkaline conditions without being interfered with by ionic strength. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that the extension region played different roles under different pH and ionic strength conditions. These factors should be specified carefully and speculated individually to explore the more detailed and profound nature of ß-conglycinin at the submolecular level. The results could benefit a better understanding of the relationship between domain structure and functions of soybean protein. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Multiple organ failure might be an indication for prophylactic antifungal therapy in acute pancreatitis.

PURPOSE: Significant conflicts regarding prophylactic antifungal treatment in acute pancreatitis (AP) exist among current literatures and guidelines. The key to resolving this controversial issue is to identify risk factors for intra-abdominal fungal infection (AFI) among patients with AP. METHODS: A single-center, retrospective cohort of 826 patients with AP between January 2014 to December 2019 was analysed to study the risk factors of AFI. RESULTS: Of the 826 patients with AP, 10 patients (1.2%) developed AFI, including 2 cases in moderately severe AP (MSAP) and 8 in severe AP (SAP). The incidence of AFI was significantly higher in patients with SAP compared with MSAP and mild AP (10.3 vs. 0.8% vs. 0, P < 0.001). SAP patients with AFI were more likely to have multiple organ failure (MOF) (OR = 13.4; 95% CI 1.6-115.5), organ failure lasting more than 1 week (OR = 5.1; 95% CI 1.0-27.0), and surgical intervention within first week of admission (OR = 7.4; 95% CI 1.0-53.6). Multivariable analysis identified MOF (OR = 14.3; 95% CI 1.2-173.8) as the only independent risk factor of AFI. CONCLUSION: MOF might be the indication of prophylactic antifungal therapy in patients with AP.

Relationship between dietary patterns and sleep disorders among health screening population in Changsha. / é•¿æ²™åœ°åŒºéƒ¨åˆ†å¥åº·ä½“æ£€äººç¾¤é¥®é£Ÿæ¨¡å¼ä¸Žç¡çœ éšœç¢çš„å ³ç³».

OBJECTIVES: Sleep disorders directly affect health-related quality of life, so it is of great significance to investigate the risk factors of sleep disorders and to actively intervene. This study aims to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and associated factors and sleep disorders among the health screening populations in Changsha. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 86 073 subjects aged 18-70 years old who underwent the health screening. The association between dietary patterns and sleep disorders was analyzed. The associated factors for sleep disorders were identified via by principal component analysis and classification tree model. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of reporting sleep disorders was 18.64%. Four major dietary patterns (healthy, snacks, whole-grain, and fried food patterns) were identified. In logistic regression, snacks and fried food patterns had higher risk of sleep disorders. The whole-grain pattern was a protective factor for sleep disorders. Nine associated factors including age, susceptibility to anxiety, snacking parterns, feelings of depression, chronic pain, physical activity, educational level, gender, and weight, and 9 groups at high risk for sleep disorders were identified by classification tree model. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep disorders are prevalent in the health screening population of Changsha. There is a close association between snacks dietary patterns and sleep disorders. It is necessary to promote healthy and reasonable diet, and keep good lifestyle for the prevention and control of sleep disorders. Health management after physical examination should take different health interventions for high-risk groups with different characteristics of sleep disorders.

Analysis of radiological parameters associated with decreased fractional anisotropy values on diffusion tensor imaging in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have indicated that decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are well correlated with the symptoms of nerve root compression. The aim of our study is to determine primary radiological parameters associated with decreased FA values in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis involving single L5 nerve root. METHODS: Patients confirmed with single L5 nerve root compression by transforaminal nerve root blocks were included in this study. FA values of L5 nerve roots on both symptomatic and asymptomatic side were obtained. Conventional radiological parameters, such as disc height, degenerative scoliosis, dural sac cross-sectional area (DSCSA), foraminal height (FH), hypertrophic facet joint degeneration (HFJD), sagittal rotation (SR), sedimentation sign, sagittal translation and traction spur were measured. Correlation and regression analyses were performed between the radiological parameters and FA values of the symptomatic L5 nerve roots. A predictive regression equation was established. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were included in this study. FA values were significantly lower at the symptomatic side comparing to the asymptomatic side (0.263 ± 0.069 vs. 0.334 ± 0.080, P = 0.038). DSCSA, FH, HFJD, and SR were significantly correlated with the decreased FA values, with r = 0.518, 0.443, 0.472 and - 0.910, respectively (P < 0.05). DSCSA and SR were found to be the primary radiological parameters related to the decreased FA values, and the regression equation is FA = - 0.012 × SR + 0.002 × DSCSA. CONCLUSIONS: DSCSA and SR were primary contributors to decreased FA values in LSS patients involving single L5 nerve root, indicating that central canal decompression and segmental stability should be the first considerations in preoperative planning of these patients. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

The evaluation on neural status of cervical spinal cord in normal and Hirayama disease using diffusion tensor imaging.

PURPOSE: To explore the changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters in cervical spinal cord in Hirayama disease (HD) patients and healthy volunteers and to compare these parameters between cervical flexion and neutral positions in HD patients. METHODS: Seventeen male patients with HD and eleven healthy young males were included to receive DTI scans in cervical flexion and neutral positions. The FA and ADC values of different levels were measured based on the region of interest drawn on the mid-sagittal plane. The dynamic compressed level's parameters were defined as the lowest and the second lowest FA and the highest and the second highest ADC, respectively. The clinical assessment of patients was obtained using their disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) scores. RESULTS: For the HD patients, the FA values in the cervical flexion position were lower and the ADC values were much higher than those in the cervical neutral position. Compared with the controls, the ADC values were significantly higher in the lower levels (C5/6-C7/T1) and the FA values obviously lower at C7/T1 in HD patients in cervical neutral position. The FA and ADC values of the dynamic compressed level in HD patients deviated significantly from the average of the lower levels in controls. Both the FA and ADC values of the dynamic compressed level correlated with the DASH scores (FA, R2 = 0.520, P = 0.001; ADC, R2 = 0.421, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: DTI parameters can support a hypothesis of dynamic cervical flexion compression and noninvasively reveal the neural status of HD patients. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Measuring household vulnerability to medical expenditure shock: method and its empirical application.

To investigate household vulnerability for inability to cope with medical expenditure shock, we propose a method of measuring household vulnerability to medical expenditure shock by allowing for the heteroscedasticity and dependence of medical expenditure shock and income shock. Using the data from China Health and Nutrition Survey, we estimate the vulnerability of Chinese households, and further investigate crucial characteristics associated with it by comparing the vulnerability levels among groups with different characteristics and an empirical regression with Shorrocks-Shapely decomposition of R squared. Our research shows that health status contributes most to the household vulnerability, and good health helps to reduce the household's vulnerability. Households with stable income and high-education have greater ability to cope with uncertain medical expenditure, and are less vulnerable. Medical insurance plays a limited role in reducing household vulnerability, and the specific type of medical insurance has little influence. All of these findings are conducive to identifying vulnerable households and designing policies to reduce the vulnerability of households.

Relationship between one-handed push force and subjective rating of force exertion.

BACKGROUND: Pushing is a typical workplace activity that may result in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A convenient method of assessing the risk of MSDs is to determine the association between the force applied and the subjective rating of force exertion. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the subjective rating of force exertion and the force applied to both a fixed and a movable handle. It also aimed to confirm that the participants could apply a higher one-handed push force at shoulder height than at elbow height. METHODS: A one-handed pushing experiment was conducted. In the push-to-scale session, the participants pushed a handle fixed on a rig on four levels on the CR-10 scale. The push force was measured. In the force-rating session, the participants rated their force exertions when pushing a movable handle with metal blocks suspended on the two sides. The subjective ratings on the CR-10 were recorded. RESULTS: The one-handed push force at shoulder height was significantly higher than that at elbow height. More effort was needed to push on a movable handle than a fixed one. Two regression models were established to describe the relationship between the push force and the subjective ratings of pushing for each of the fixed and movable handles, respectively. The correlation coefficient results showed that these models are adequate to describe the relationship between the one-handed push force and the ratings of the CR-10 scale. CONCLUSION: Participants applied a higher one-handed push force at shoulder height than at elbow height was confirmed. Participants needed more efforts to push the movable handle under the same CR-10 level than the fixed handle. The predictive models developed in this study may be used to estimate the push force for one-handed pushing tasks when assessing the risk of MSDs.

Combined blood pressure and heart rate trajectories are associated with prognosis in critically ill patients with acute aortic dissection: A group-based multi-trajectory analysis.

Background: Managing systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) is pivotal in acute aortic dissection (AAD) care. However, no prior studies have jointly analyzed the trajectories of these parameters. This research aimed to characterize their joint longitudinal trajectories and investigate the influence on AAD prognosis. Methods: We included AAD patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. Using group-based multi-trajectory modeling (GBMTM), we identified combined trajectories of SBP, DBP, and HR within the initial 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Cox proportional hazard regression, log-binomial regression, and logistic regression were employed to assess the association between trajectory groups and mortality outcomes. Results: Data from 337 patients were analyzed. GBMTM identified five combined trajectory groups. Group 1 featured rapidly declining SBP and DBP with high pulse pressure and low HR; Group 2 showed high to moderate SBP with slight rebound and persistently low HR; Group 3 displayed persistently moderate BP and HR; Group 4 was characterized by moderate blood pressure with persistently high HR; and Group 5 had high to moderate SBP with slight rebound, high but gradually declining DBP, and slightly high HR. Group 3 demonstrated a lower risk of mortality, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.32 (95 % CI, 0.14-0.74), and the adjusted relative risks for in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortalities were 0.37 (95 % CI, 0.15-0.87), 0.25 (95 % CI, 0.10-0.62), and 0.41 (95 % CI, 0.22-0.79), respectively. The time-independent C-index curve demonstrated that the multi-trajectory groups had higher C-index values than any univariate trajectory groups or admission values of SBP, DBP, and HR. Conclusions: Utilization of GBMTM can yield data-driven insights to identify distinct subphenotypes in AAD patients. The combined trajectories of SBP, DBP, and HR within 24 h of ICU admission significantly influenced the mortality rate.

Evaluating Childhood Overweight- and Obesity-Related Food Marketing Policies in China Using the Food-Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI).

OBJECTIVE: Addressing the increasing global health issue of childhood obesity, exacerbated by pervasive food marketing, this study critically evaluated China's food marketing policies in comparison with international best practices, aiming to uncover policy content and implementation gaps and inform policy enhancement strategies. METHOD: Three key indicators were utilized from the Healthy Food-Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI)'s food promotion domain. A panel of experts (n = 13) from academic institutions, China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the food industry assessed the Chinese government's policy scores and implementation levels concerning food marketing. Benchmarked against international best practices using the Food-EPI process, this evaluation encompassed context analysis, data collection, evidence-based policy action, government validation, policy rating, scoring, and results translation for government and stakeholders. The three chosen indicators specifically addressed childhood overweight- and obesity-related food marketing in broadcast media (Indicator 1), non-broadcast media (Indicator 2), and child gathering settings (Indicator 3). RESULTS: Specifically, Indicator 1, the Single Food Marketing Indicator Score was measured at 2.31 ± 0.38, with an accompanying Food Marketing Policy Implementation Percentage of 46.2%, and Low Implementation Level. For non-broadcast mediums (Indicator 2), these metrics were gauged at 1.77 ± 0.27, 35.4%, and Low Implementation Level, respectively. In child gathering settings (Indicator 3), for efforts curbing unhealthy food promotion, a score of 2.77 ± 0.27, an implementation percentage of 55.4%, and Medium Implementation Level was obtained. Cumulatively, the overarching efficacy of food marketing policy enforcement was determined to be suboptimal, with the consolidated figures being Total Food Marketing Score as 2.28 ± 0.97, Total Food Marketing Policy Implementation Percentage as 45.6%, and Total Food Marketing Policy Implementation Level as Low. CONCLUSION: Like many countries, China's food marketing policies and implementation have room for improvement when compared to international best practices. Recommendations include emphasizing nutritional legislation, fostering stakeholder collaboration, bolstering public health campaigns, and leveraging technology for stringent enforcement.

Novel Carrier-Free Nanodrug Enhances Photodynamic Effects by Blocking the Autophagy Pathway and Synergistically Triggers Immunogenic Cell Death for the Efficient Treatment of Breast Cancer.

Photosensitizers have been widely used to cause intratumoral generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for cancer therapy, but they are easily disturbed by the autophagy pathway, a self-protective mechanism by mitigating oxidative damage. Hereby, we reported a simple and effective strategy to construct a carrier-free nanodrug, Ce6@CQ namely, based on the self-assembly of the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) and the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ). Specifically, Ce6@CQ avoided the unexpected toxicity caused by the regular nanocarrier and also ameliorated its stability in different conditions. Light-activated Ce6 generated cytotoxic ROS and elicited part of the immunogenic cell death (ICD). Moreover, CQ induced autophagy dysfunction, which hindered self-healing in tumor cells and enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) to exert a more potent killing effect and more efficient ICD. Also, Ce6@CQ could effectively accumulate in the xenograft breast tumor site in a mouse model through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, and the growth of breast tumors was effectively inhibited by Ce6@CQ with light. Such a carrier-free nanodrug provided a new strategy to improve the efficacy of PDT via the suppression of autophagy to digest ROS-induced toxic substances.

The Mixture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Clostridium butyricum Could Promote Rumen Fermentation and Improve the Growth Performance of Goats in Hot Summer.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of multiple mixing ratio pairs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) and Clostridium butyricum (CB) on rumen fermentation and growth performance of goats in hot summer. Thirty goats were divided into five groups: 0.00% probiotics (control), 0.30% SC and 0.05% CB (P1), 0.30% SC and 0.10% CB (P2), 0.60% SC and 0.05% CB (P3), and 0.60% SC and 0.10% CB (P4) of the dry matter (DM) weight of the basal diet and were assigned to a 5 × 5 Latin square experimental design. The results showed the pH values, the activities of ruminal cellulolytic enzymes, and the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, acetic acid, propionic acid, total volatile fatty acids, vitamins B1 and B2, and niacin were significantly increased (p < 0.05) by probiotics. Moreover, the DM intake, average daily gain, the digestibilities of DM, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in probiotic-supplemented groups. Additionally, among all probiotic supplementation groups, the P3 group had the most beneficial effect on rumen fermentation parameters and the growth performance of goats. These results suggested that the mixture of 0.60% Saccharomyces cerevisiae and 0.05% Clostridium butyricum of the DM concentration was beneficial to improve rumen fermentation and promote the growth of goats in hot summer.

Heat-induced aggregation of subunits/polypeptides of soybean protein: Structural and physicochemical properties.

To reveal the nature of thermal aggregation of soybean protein at subunit level, structure and physicochemical properties of αα'- and ß-subunits isolated from ß-conglycinin, acidic polypeptide, and basic polypeptide from glycinin, as well as ß-conglycinin and glycinin, were characterized before and after heat treatment. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that ß-conglycinin, αα'-subunits and acidic polypeptide formed regular thermal aggregates, which exhibited high solubility, high ζ-potential value, and small particle size. While glycinin, ß-subunit, and basic polypeptide aggregated to insoluble clusters with large particle size distribution. The results of size exclusion chromatography and non-reducing electrophoresis showed that the disulfide bond was the important force in stabilizing the protein conformation of thermal aggregates in ß-conglycinin, glycinin, and their isolated subunits/polypeptides but ß-subunit. The results of surface hydrophobicity and intrinsic fluorescence spectra showed that the thermal aggregations of ß-subunit and basic polypeptide were mainly driven by hydrophobic interactions.

Correlation Study Between Spinal Cord Function, Spinal Cord Morphology and Cervical Spine Alignments in Patients With Hirayama Disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the relationship between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters, cervical spine alignments, and spinal cord morphological parameters in patients with Hirayama disease (HD). METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 41 HD patients were recruited from the Huashan hospital from July 2017 to November 2021. Patients received X-rays, conventional magnetic resonance (MR), and DTI scans in flexion and neutral positions. The DTI parameters assessed were calculated using the region of interest (ROI) method. Paired t-tests were performed on the DTI parameters of neck flexion and neutral position. Cervical spine alignments, including flexion and neutral Cobb angles, were measured, and range of motion (ROM) was calculated. Spinal cord morphological parameters were measured, including spinal cord atrophy (SCA) and loss of attachment (LOA). Spearman's correlation analysis between DTI parameters, cervical spine alignments, and spinal cord morphological parameters was performed. RESULTS: In comparing DTI parameters, segments of the C3/4, C4/5, C6/7, and lower cervical spine were significantly different, while segments of C5/6 were not significantly different. In Spearman's correlation analysis, the flexion Cobb angle was significantly correlated with the fractional anisotropy (FA) value (R2 = .111, P = .033) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value (R2 = .119, P = .027). Flexion FA values were correlated with SCA in C4/5 (R2 = .211, P = .003), C5/6 (R2 = .454, P < .001), and C6/7 (R2 = .383, P < .001) while flexion ADC values were correlated with SCA in the C4/5 (R2 = .178, P = .006), C5/6 (R2 = .388, P < .001) and C6/7 segments (R2 = .187, P = .005). CONCLUSION: The DTI parameters were correlated with the flexion Cobb angle and the SCA. These data support the dynamic cervical flexion compression hypothesis and indicate that the degree of SCA may be used to assess the condition of HD patients quantitatively.

Multi-omics analysis reveals gut microbiota-ovary axis contributed to the follicular development difference between Meishan and Landrace × Yorkshire sows.

BACKGROUND: The mechanism by which Meishan (MS) sows are superior to white crossbred sows in ovarian follicle development remains unclear. Given gut microbiota could regulate female ovarian function and reproductive capacity, this study aimed to determine the role of gut microbiota-ovary axis on follicular development in sows. METHODS: We compared the ovarian follicular development, gut microbiota, plasma metabolome, and follicular fluid metabolome between MS and Landrace × Yorkshire (L × Y) sows. A H2O2-induced cell apoptosis model was used to evaluate the effects of multi-omics identified metabolites on the apoptosis of porcine ovarian granulosa cells in vitro. RESULTS: Compared with L × Y sows, MS sows have greater ovary weight and improved follicular development, including the greater counts of large follicles of diameter ≥ 5 mm, secondary follicles, and antral follicles, but lesser atretic follicles. The ovarian granulosa cells in MS sows had alleviated apoptosis, which was indicated by the increased BCL-2, decreased caspases-3, and decreased cleaved caspases-3 than in L × Y sows. The ovarian follicular fluid of MS sows had higher concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and insulin like growth factor 1 than L × Y sows. Gut microbiota of MS sows formed a distinct cluster and had improved alpha diversity, including increased Shannon and decreased Simpson than those of L × Y sows. Corresponding to the enhanced function of carbohydrate metabolism and elevated short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces, the differential metabolites in plasma between MS and L × Y sows are also mainly enriched in pathways of fatty acid metabolism. There were significant correlations among SCFAs with follicular development, ovarian granulosa cells apoptosis, and follicular fluid hormones, respectively. Noteworthily, compared with L × Y sows, MS sows had higher follicular fluid SCFAs concentrations which could ameliorate H2O2-induced porcine granulosa cells apoptosis in vitro. CONCLUSION: MS sows have more secondary and antral follicles, but fewer atretic follicles and apoptotic ovarian granulosa cells, as well as harbored a distinctive gut microbiota than L × Y sows. Gut microbiota may participate in regulating ovarian follicular development via SCFAs affecting granulosa cells apoptosis in sows.

Bio-characteristics and Efficacy Analysis of Biodegradable Poly Dioxanone Dermal Filler in a Mouse Model and Humans.

BACKGROUND/AIM: This research investigated the biophysical properties, safety, and efficacy of polydioxanone (PDO) filler compared to poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers. In both mouse and human skin models, a novel collagen stimulation was compared with hyaluronic acid filler. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electron microscope was used to capture images of the solid particle microsphere shape. Moreover, animal models named SKH1-Hrhr were used to assess the 12-week persistence of PDO, PLLA, or PCL filler. H&E and Sirus Red staining were used to compare collagen density. Five participants in the clinical trial received three injections in the dermis over an eight-month period. Skin density, wrinkles, and gloss were evaluated using DUB® skin scanner, Antera 3D CS, Mark-Vu, and Skin gloss meter after injection to assess the efficacy of fillers. RESULTS: PDO microspheres had uneven surfaces and were spherical and consistent in size. In comparison to other fillers, the PDO filler demonstrated complete biodegradability in just 12 weeks and better neocollagenesis, and a lower inflammatory response than the HA filler. After three injections, the human body assay showed a significant improvement in skin gloss, wrinkles, and density. CONCLUSION: In comparison to PCL and PLLA, PDO filler demonstrated a comparable volume increase rate and better biodegradability. Furthermore, although its physical characteristics are similar to those of a solid, PDO has the advantage of being more organically spread. In photoaging mice, PDO fillers are thought to offer equivalent or superior anti-wrinkle and anti-aging effects to PBS, PCL, and PLLA.

Household Financial Vulnerability to Income and Medical Expenditure Shocks: Measurement and Determinants.

This paper proposes a novel ex ante indicator to measure the degree of household financial vulnerability by calculating the probability of falling into financial distress under uncertain income and medical expenditure. The advantage of this measure is that it can reflect the capacity of households to deal with income shock and medical expenditure shock and quantify the degree of financial vulnerability for households beforehand. We employ it to measure the financial vulnerability of Chinese urban and rural households separately by using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011, 2013, and 2015. Further, we analyze the potential determinants and their contributions to financial vulnerability changes. We find that rural households experience higher financial vulnerability than urban households. Furthermore, the investigation into the effects of potential determinants suggests that demographic variables (including age, gender, education, marital status, household size, labor force, and area), health-related variables (including health status, disability, and health shock), and medical insurance variables (including urban employee medical insurance and commercial medical insurance) have significant effects on the financial vulnerability of both urban and rural households. Contribution analysis of the determinants of household financial vulnerability shows that variables including disability, health shock, household size, labor force, and education contribute most to the changes in financial vulnerability.

Investigating the Relationship between Job Burnout and Job Satisfaction among Chinese Generalist Teachers in Rural Primary Schools: A Serial Mediation Model.

BACKGROUND: Job burnout has become a widespread phenomenon in school settings. However, little is known about the mental health condition of the growing cohort of generalist teachers in rural primary schools. Drawing on the job demands-resource model and social exchange theory, this study examines the correlation between job burnout and job satisfaction through perceived organizational support and work engagement. METHODS: We recruited 639 Chinese generalist teachers in rural primary schools as the study subjects and developed a serial mediation model to assess the hypothesized construct. The data acquired online via Wenjuanxing Software were confirmed as valid and analyzed with SPSS and SmartPLS. RESULTS: The participants scored above the median in perceived organizational support, work engagement, and job satisfaction, and had scores close to the median for job burnout. Statistically significant differences among the investigated variables were found in gender, age, experience, and degree. Job burnout was negatively predictive of perceived organizational support, work engagement, and job satisfaction (each p = 0.000). Perceived organizational support mediated the association between job burnout and work engagement (p = 0.000) and the connection between job burnout and job satisfaction (p = 0.000), while work engagement mediated the association between job burnout and job satisfaction (p = 0.000) and the association between perceived organizational support and job satisfaction (p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Perceived organizational support and work engagement as two sequential mediators buffered the detrimental impact of job burnout on job satisfaction among Chinese generalist teachers in rural primary schools. Targeted strategies should be implemented to diminish generalist teachers' feelings of burnout, being unsupported by organizations, disengagement at work, and dissatisfaction with the job.

The Relationship between Bicultural Identity Integration, Self-Esteem, Academic Resilience, Interaction Anxiousness, and School Belonging among University Students with Vocational Qualifications.

Background: University students with a vocational pathway face greater cultural, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral challenges during the transition process than their counterparts with an academic route. Method: This study examined the predictive effect of bicultural identity integration, self-esteem, academic resilience, and interaction anxiousness on school belonging using a quantitative approach with 326 Chinese vocational pathway university student participants. Result: The participants had high levels of cultural adaptability, self-esteem, academic resilience, and school belonging, but they also displayed moderate interaction anxiousness. Bicultural identity integration (B = 0.24; p < 0.001), self-esteem (B = 0.35; p < 0.001), and academic resilience (B = 0.25; p < 0.001) significantly positively predicted school belonging, while interaction anxiousness (B = −0.17; p < 0.01) negatively predicted school belonging. Conclusions: Bicultural identity integration, self-esteem, academic resilience, and interaction anxiousness were crucial determinants of school belonging among Chinese university students with vocational qualifications. Effective measures should be initiated to boost their feelings of being recognized, respected, and connected to the university community.