Silica-induced ROS in alveolar macrophages and its role on the formation of pulmonary fibrosis via polarizing macrophages into M2 phenotype: a review.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs), the first line against the invasion of foreign invaders, play a predominant role in the pathogenesis of silicosis. Studies have shown that inhaled silica dust is recognized and engulfed by AMs, resulting in the production of large amounts of silica-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), including particle-derived ROS and macrophage-derived ROS. These ROS change the microenvironment of the AMs where the macrophage phenotype is stimulated to swift from M0 to M1 and/or M2, and ultimately emerge as the M2 phenotype to trigger silicosis. This is a complex process accompanied by various molecular biological events. Unfortunately, the detailed processes and mechanisms have not been systematically described. In this review, we first systematically introduce the process of ROS induced by silica in AMs. Then, describe the role and molecular mechanism of M2-type macrophage polarization caused by silica-induced ROS. Finally, we review the mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis induced by M2 polarized AMs. We conclude that silica-induced ROS initiate the fibrotic process of silicosis by inducing macrophage into M2 phenotype, and that targeted intervention of silica-induced ROS in AMs can reprogram the macrophage polarization and ameliorate the pathogenesis of silicosis.

Chemical Characterization and Insecticidal Activities of the Essential Oils from the Different Parts of Ocimum gratissimum var. suave (Willd.) Hook. f.

In this research, the essential oils (EOs) from different parts of Ocimum gratissimum var. suave were chemically characterized and evaluated for insecticidal activity, especially against two common storage pests of Chinese herbal medicines: Tribolium castaneum and Liposcelis bostrychophila. Ocimum gratissimum is a plant with several medicinal values in traditional Chinese medicine. In the study, EOs were successfully extracted from inflorescences (OGI) and stem-leaf (OGLS) parts of O. gratissimum by steam distillation and 16 compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), of which eugenol was the major constituent in both extracts. In fumigation toxicity tests against both pests, the EOs showed limited toxicity against T. castaneum but showed better toxicity against L. bostrychophila. Contact toxicity tests showed that OGLS had better insecticidal potential than OGI, while the insecticidal effect of eugenol sometimes exceeded that of EOs. In addition, repellency experiments showed that O. gratissimum EOs repelled the pests to varying degrees, with the effect being influenced by concentration and exposure time. The results suggest that O. gratissimum EOs could be a promising alternative to synthetic insecticides for sustainable utilization.

Contact Toxicity and Repellent Effects of Essential Oils from Toddalia asiatica against Two Stored-Product Insects.

Insect infestations continually endanger stored goods, underscoring the significance of discovering eco-friendly insecticides for pest management. Essential oils (EOs) from different parts of Toddalia asiatica (leaf, fruit and branch) were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Carvene, p-cymene and muurolene are the principal compounds of T. asiatica leaf (TAL), T. asiatica fruit (TAF) and T. asiatica branch (TAB) EO respectively. Our work aimed to assess the contact toxicity and repellent effects of EOs on two storage pests, Tribolium castaneum and Lasioderma serricorne. All tested EOs exhibited obvious contact toxicity, especially, TAL EO against T. castaneum (33.48 µg/adult) and TAF EO against L. serricorne (16.42 µg/adult). Repellency tests revealed that TAL and TAF EOs, at a concentration of 78.63 nL/cm2, achieved nearing 100% efficiency against T. castaneum. These results suggest that EOs of T. asiatica could be used as effective botanical insecticides for managing stored-product insects.

Prevalence and related factors for neck pain in military personnel: a systematic review.

Purpose: In the military, neck pain is second to low back pain among musculoskeletal disorders. However, the prevalence and related factors of neck pain in military personnel have not been systematically investigated, which may lead to the lack of neck pain prevention and the generation of additional medical expenses, posing challenges to medical care. This review aimed to obtain the prevalence and related factors for neck pain in military personnel in an attempt to provide directions for prevention and intervention. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases in December 2021. Two researchers independently screened studies according to eligibility criteria and assessed study quality. Results: We screened titles and abstracts of 503 articles, and 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. Sixteen articles received moderate to high-quality evaluations. Neck pain is common in the military, with 1-year prevalence as high as 83% and lifetime prevalence as high as 78%. Old age (OR = 5.0), poor neck mobility (OR = 3.61), shoulder pain (OR = 4.9), low back pain (OR = 2.3), high-G pilots (OR = 1.6), longer flight time (OR = 2.53), type of aircraft (OR = 3.93), and use of helmets and night vision systems (OR = 1.9) may be associated with the prevalence of neck pain. Conclusion: Neck pain is highly prevalent in military personnel and exhibits a substantial lifetime prevalence rate. The high prevalence rate of neck pain in the military is related to many individual-related factors and work-related factors. The in-depth assessment and prevention of specific factors is an important direction of future research.

Associations between Physical Activity and the Incidence of Cerebrovascular Disease or All-Cause Mortality among 146,742 Older Adults: A 13-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Although studies have indicated that physical activity (PA) is related to cardiovascular disease, the specific association between PA and incident cerebrovascular disease (CBVD) remains uncertain. The current study aimed to investigate the associations between PA levels and the CBVD incidence or all-cause mortality. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Older participants (aged >60 years) from the UK Biobank. METHODS: The baseline PA was classified as total, light, moderate, and vigorous PA based on the metabolic equivalent-minutes per week (MET-min/wk) and considered as exposures, whereas CBVD incidence and all-cause mortality were considered as the outcomes. Cox proportional hazards were used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for the influence of the association between PA and CBVD incidence and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 146,742 participants aged 60 years and older were included. During a median follow-up period of 13.5 years (interquartile range of 12.8-14.2), 9338 older individuals developed CBVD and 3033 death were recorded (including 767 CBVD-related deaths). High volumes of PA were consistently associated with lower risks of CBVD and all-cause mortality. The lowest risk of CBVD incidence was observed at 2001-2500 MET-min/wk of total PA (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.53-0.70), and the lowest risk of all-cause mortality was observed at 2501-5000 MET-min/wk (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.43-0.63) in older adults. Total PA at 2001-2500 MET-min/wk significantly reduced the CBVD incidence in older women (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.46-0.71), which was more pronounced than that in older men (HR for 2001-2500 MET-min/wk: 0.64, 95% CI 0.50-0.77). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Total PA at 2001-2500 MET-min/wk significantly reduced the risk of incident CBVD and all-cause mortality in adults aged >60 years, although the extents of risk reduction vary in men and women.

Insecticidal Activities and Phenological Variations of Characteristic Component from Michelia yunnanensis.

Volatile secondary metabolites of plants interact with environments heavily. In this work, characteristic components of Michelia yunnanensis essential oils (EOs) were isolated, purified and identified by column chromatography, GC-MS and NMR. Leaves of M. yunnanensis were collected monthly and extracted for EOs to investigate chemical and insecticidal activity variations as well as potential influencing environments. Different organs were employed to reveal distribution strategies of characteristic components. Results of insecticidal activities showed that all EOs samples exerted stronger contact activity to Lasioderma serricorne, but repellent effect was more efficient on Tribolium castaneum. One oxygenated sesquiterpene was isolated from EOs, basically it could be confirmed as (+)-cyclocolorenone (1). It exerted contact toxicity to L. serricorne (LD 50 = 28.8 µg/adult). Chemical analysis showed that M. yunnanensis leaves in reproductive period would produce and accumulate more 1 than in vegetative period. Moreover, reproductive organs (flowers and fruits) contained more 1 than vegetative organs (leaves and twigs). Partial correlation analysis indicated that temperature-related elements positively correlated with the relative content of 1.

Polyphyllin VII Promotes Apoptosis in Breast Cancer by Inhibiting MAPK/ERK Signaling Pathway through Downregulation of SOS1.

Polyphyllin VII is a biologically active herbal monomer extracted from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Chonglou. Many studies have demonstrated the anticancer activity of polyphyllin VII against various types of cancers, such as colon, liver, and lung cancer, but its effect on breast cancer has not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that polyphyllin VII inhibited proliferation, increased production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in breast cancer cells. Notably, polyphyllin VII also induced apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. Transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the targets of PPVII in regulating breast cancer cells. Mechanistic studies showed that polyphyllin VII downregulated Son of Sevenless1 (SOS1) and inhibited the MAPK/ERK pathway. Furthermore, PPVII exerted strong antitumor effects in vivo in nude mice injected with breast cancer cells. Our results suggest that PPVII may promote apoptosis through regulating the SOS1/MAPK/ERK pathway, making it a possible candidate target for the treatment of breast cancer.

Associations between back pain incidence, and physical activity and sedentary behaviours: A prospective cohort study with data from over 365,000 participants.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between (i) various types of physical activity and the risk of back pain incidence, and (ii) the influence of substituting sedentary behaviours with physical activities on back pain incidence. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. METHODS: We analyzed UK Biobank data collected from 365,307 participants who were free of back pain at baseline. The exposures were total, light, moderate and vigorous physical activity, and sedentary behaviours. The outcome was back pain incidence. The main statistical models were the Cox proportional hazard model and the isotemporal substitution model. RESULTS: In the follow-up time (median, 12.97 years; inter-quartile range, 12.10-13.71), 25,189 individuals developed back pain. The associations between all types of physical activity and incident back pain were significantly non-linear (p < 0.001) among the general population and other subgroups. High physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of back pain compared with no physical activity. The lowest risk occurred in the 1801-2400 MET-min/week subgroup of total physical activity (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.59-0.69), approximately consisting of 1200, 600, and 600 MET-min/week of light, moderate and vigorous physical activity, respectively. Extremely high vigorous physical activity was related to high risk, specifically in males (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.25). Replacing 1 hour/day of sedentary behaviours with an equal time of physical activity reduced the risk of incident back pain by 2%-8% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Physical activity was related to a reduced risk of back pain incidence (except over-high vigorous physical activity). Substituting sedentary behaviours with physical activities reduced the risk of future back pain.

Clinical characteristics of patients with migraine accompanied by tremor. / åå¤´ç—›ä¼´å‘éœ‡é¢¤æ‚£è€ çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾.

OBJECTIVES: Migraine and tremor share some genetic mutation sites, and clinical studies have also confirmed their correlation. This study aims to explore the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of migraine patients with concomitant tremor, and to analyze the relevant influential factors of tremor occurrence. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 217 migraine patients who visited the Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University from June 2022 to October 2023. The Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were respectively used to assess the tremor symptoms, degree of headache, anxiety, and depression of patients. All patients underwent routine head MR scanning and electromyography examination, and were divided into a migraine with tremor group and a migraine without tremor group based on the electromyogram examination. RESULTS: The migraine with tremor group and the migraine without tremor group were included 52 patients (23.96%) and 165 patients (76.04%), respectively. Compared with the migraine without tremor group, the migraine with tremor group had a longer course and duration of headache, higher frequency of headache attacks, higher NRS score, GAD-7 score, and PHQ-9 score, and fewer weekly physical exercises. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the presence or absence of prodromal headache and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) between the 2 groups (both P>0.05). The evaluation results of the CRST showed that out of 217 migraine patients, 39 patients (17.97%) were accompanied by tremors. The electromyographic results showed that all 52 migraine patients with tremors had upper limb tremors, including 28 migraine patients with postural tremors and 24 migraine patients with static tremors. Compared with the migraine patients with static tremors, the migraine patients with postural tremors had lower average frequency, peak frequency, and headache onset frequency (all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that frequency of physical exercise, duration of illness, frequency of headache attacks, NRS score, GAD-7 score, and PHQ-9 score were risk factors for migraine patients with concomitant tremors (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with migraine mainly experience upper limb postural tremors. Reduced physical exercise, long course of disease, long duration of headache, frequent headache attacks, severe headache, anxiety, and depression are risk factors for migraine patients with concomitant tremors.

Distribution of pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial sensitivity of eye infections in Suzhou.

AIM: To investigate the types of bacteria in patients with eye infections in Suzhou and their drug resistance to commonly used antibacterial drugs. METHODS: The clinical data of 155 patients were retrospectively collected in this study, and the pathogenic bacteria species and drug resistance of each pathogenic bacteria were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 155 patients (age from 12 to 87 years old, with an average age of 57, 99 males and 56 females) with eye infections (160 eyes: 74 in the left eye, 76 in the right eye and 5 in both eyes, all of which were exogenous), 71 (45.81%) strains were gram-positive bacteria, 23 (14.84%) strains were gram-negative bacteria and 61 (39.35%) strains were fungi. Gram-positive bacteria were highly resistant to penicillin and erythromycin (78.87% and 46.48% respectively), but least resistant to vancomycin at 0. Gram-negative bacteria were highly resistant to cefoxitin and compound sulfamethoxazole (100% and 95.65% respectively), but least resistant to meropenem at 0. Comparison of the resistance of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria to some drugs revealed statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in the resistance of both to cefoxitin, cotrimoxazole, levofloxacin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone and ceftazidime, and both had higher rates of resistance to gram-negative bacteria than to gram-positive bacteria. The distribution of bacterial infection strains showed that Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common strain in the conjunctiva, cornea, aqueous humor or vitreous body and other eye parts. Besides, Fusarium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also among the most common strains of conjunctival and corneal infections. CONCLUSION: Gram-positive bacteria are the dominant bacteria in eye infections, followed by gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Considering the resistance of gram-negative bacteria to multiple drugs, monitoring of bacteria should be strengthened in eye bacterial infections for effective prevention and control to reduce complications caused by eye infections.

The multifaceted role of macrophage mitophagy in SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis: A brief review.

Prolonged exposure to environments with high concentrations of crystalline silica (CS) can lead to silicosis. Macrophages play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of silicosis. In the process of silicosis, silica (SiO2) invades alveolar macrophages (AMs) and induces mitophagy which usually exists in three states: normal, excessive, and/or deficiency. Different mitophagy states lead to corresponding toxic responses, including successful macrophage repair, injury, necrosis, apoptosis, and even pulmonary fibrosis. This is a complex process accompanied by various cytokines. Unfortunately, the details have not been fully systematically summarized. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the role of macrophage mitophagy in SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis by systematic analysis on the literature reports. In this review, we first summarized the current data on the macrophage mitophagy in the development of SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Then, we introduce the molecular mechanism on how SiO2-induced mitophagy causes pulmonary fibrosis. Finally, we focus on introducing new therapies based on newly developed mitophagy-inducing strategies. We conclude that macrophage mitophagy plays a multifaceted role in the progression of SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and reprogramming the macrophage mitophagy state accordingly may be a potential means of preventing and treating pulmonary fibrosis.

Hub Genes, Possible Pathways and Predicted Drugs in Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis by Bioinformatics Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore potential pathogenic processes and possible treatments using unbiased and reliable bioinformatic tools. METHODS: Gene expression profiles of control and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) samples were downloaded from CNP0000995. Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was conducted using R software (version 4.2.1, R Foundation, Vienna, Austria). Functional enrichment analyses were performed using the Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) databases, then the proteinprotein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to screen the top 10 hub genes. Finally, five genes related to cell junctions were selected to build gene-miRNA interactions and predict small-molecule drugs. RESULTS: A total of 342 downregulated genes and 188 upregulated genes were detected. Candidate pathways include the extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor interaction pathway, the TGF-ß signalling pathway and the cell adhesion molecule (CAM) pathway, which were discovered through KEGG and GSEA enrichment studies. GO analyses revealed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in cell adhesion, the adherens junction and focal adhesion. Five hub genes (CDH1, SNAP25, RAC2, APOE and ITGB4) associated with cell adhesion were identified through PPI analysis. Finally, the gene-miRNA regulatory network identified three target miRNAs: hsa-miR-7110-5p, hsa-miR-149-3p and hsa-miR-1207-5p. Based on the gene expression profile, the small-molecule drugs zebularine, ecuronium and prostratin were selected for their demonstrated binding activity when docked with the mentioned molecules. CONCLUSION: This study offered some novel insights into molecular pathways and identified five hub genes associated with cell adhesion. Based on these hub genes, three potential therapeutic miRNAs and small-molecule drugs were predicted, which are expected to provide guidance for the treatment of patients with HGF.

Mechanisms of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for pain in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a recurrent pain condition that can be challenging to treat. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has become a promising non-invasive therapeutic option in alleviating FMS pain, but the mechanisms underlying its effectiveness are not yet fully understood. In this article, we discuss the most current research investigating the analgesic effects of tDCS on FMS and discuss the potential mechanisms. TDCS may exert its analgesic effects by influencing neuronal activity in the brain, altering cortical excitability, changing regional cerebral blood flow, modulating neurotransmission and neuroinflammation, and inducing neuroplasticity. Overall, evidence points to tDCS as a potentially safe and efficient pain relief choice for FMS by multiple underlying mechanisms. This article provides a thorough overview of our ongoing knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying tDCS and emphasizes the possibility of further studies to improve the clinical utility of tDCS as a pain management tool.

Ectopic pheochromocytomas in the third trimester: A case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the clinical features, pregnancy care, timing, and approaches of pregnancy termination as well as the perinatal management of pregnant women with ectopic pheochromocytomas (EPCC) (paragangliomas, PGL). METHODS: We report the diagnosis and treatment of a pregnant women with EPCC which was confirmed in the third trimester in our hospital. Literature in relation to EPCC during pregnancy both in and outside China was searched for data analysis such as maternal clinical features and maternal and fetal prognosis. RESULTS: A total of 20 papers including 21 cases (plus ours) were retrieved. The average age of pregnant patients was 28 years old (from 21 to 37). Two patients presented no hypertension. Nineteen had hypertension in various extent with the accompany of headache (11 cases, 57.9%), palpitations (8 cases, 42.1%), sweating (6 cases, 31.6%), nausea (6 cases), abdominal pain (2 cases), etc. The tumor was found in the chest in 3 patients, in the upper abdomen in 1 patient, in the middle abdomen in 10 patients, between the lower abdomen and pelvic cavity in 3 patients and in the pelvic cavity in 3 patients. Five patients had a surgical removal of the tumor before delivery, 3 during cesarean section and 10 after giving birth. CONCLUSION: EPCC (PGL) during pregnancy is a rare extra-adrenal tumor, whose manifestations are often confused with those of pregnancy-induced hypertension. It is extremely hard to diagnosis the disease before surgery. Patients still have an opportunity of undergoing spontaneous delivery if their tumors have been removed before labor. However, for patients whose pheochromocytomas is localized before labor, it is better to terminate their pregnancy via cesarean section in a proper time according to their obstetric conditions, while under the supervision of multidisciplinary specialists. The preparations of both α and ß adrenergic receptor blocker treatment that is normally carried out before PGL removal surgery are unnecessary to be overemphasized before the cesarean section.

Chemical Composition, Toxicity, and Repellency of Essential Oils from Three Hedychium Species Against Stored-Product Insects.

Stored products are constantly infested by insects, so finding eco-friendly bioinsecticides for insect management is important. The work aimed to assess the insecticidal and repellent activity of essential oil (EO) from Hedychium glabrum S. Q. Tong, Hedychium coronarium Koen., and Hedychium yunnanense Gagnep. against Tribolium castaneum, Lasioderma serricorne, and Liposcelis bostrychophila. Results showed that 88 chemical components were identified in the extracted Hedychium EOs, indicating that they exhibited diversity in components. According to principal component analysis (PCA), the composition of the EO from the H. yunnanense stem and leaf (EOHYSL) was significantly different from other EOs due to the different organs and species. The biological activity also varied continuously with plant species and organs. Only the EO of H. yunnanense (EOHY) showed strong fumigant toxicity. While in the contact tests, EOHGR showed the strongest toxicity effect on L. bostrychophila, with a LC50 value of 71.76 µg/cm2, which was closest to the positive control (Pyrethrin). All EOs had remarkable repellent activities against the three target insects, and repellency increased with concentration. According to the results of the comprehensive score, EOHY had the highest potential, which ranged from 0.7999 to 0.8689. Thus, Hedychium EOs possess potential biorational traits to be biological insecticides.

Customized design and biomechanical property analysis of 3D-printed tantalum intervertebral cages.

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral cages used in clinical applications were often general products with standard specifications, which were challenging to match with the cervical vertebra and prone to cause stress shielding and subsidence. OBJECTIVE: To design and fabricate customized tantalum (Ta) intervertebral fusion cages that meets the biomechanical requirements of the cervical segment. METHODS: The lattice intervertebral cages were customized designed and fabricated by the selective laser melting. The joint and muscle forces of the cervical segment under different movements were analyzed using reverse dynamics method. The stress characteristics of cage, plate, screws and vertebral endplate were analyzed by finite element analysis. The fluid flow behaviors and permeability of three lattice structures were simulated by computational fluid dynamics. Compression tests were executed to investigate the biomechanical properties of the cages. RESULTS: Compared with the solid cages, the lattice-filled structures significantly reduced the stress of cages and anterior fixation system. In comparison to the octahedroid and quaddiametral lattice-filled cages, the bitriangle lattice-filled cage had a lower stress shielding rate, higher permeability, and superior subsidence resistance ability. CONCLUSION: The inverse dynamics simulation combined with finite element analysis is an effective method to investigate the biomechanical properties of the cervical vertebra during movements.

Reliability and Validity of the Star Excursion Balance Test for Evaluating Dynamic Balance of Upper Extremities.

BACKGROUND: Upper extremity (UE) dynamic balance is a significant physical fitness ability, which includes high-level neuromuscular proprioception, joint mobility, force, and coordination. The evaluation methods of UE dynamic balance are insufficient and lack experimental support. The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a reliable assessment of dynamic balance and injury risk of the lower extremity. HYPOTHESIS: The UE-SEBT is a reliable and reproducible approach for evaluating dynamic balance of UEs. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 65 healthy adults. All participants were required to complete UE-SEBT, UE Y-balance test (UE-YBT), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of UE, closed kinetic chain UE stability test (CKCUEST), trunk flexor endurance test (TFET), trunk extensor endurance test (TEET), and lateral trunk endurance test (LTET). Intra- and inter-rater reliability and the correlation of UE-SEBT with other outcomes were measured. RESULTS: Among the participants, the intra- and interoperator reliability of UE-SEBT in all directions and composite score achieved a moderate-to-excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICC], 0.729-0.946) reliability. For validity, the UE-SEBT had a moderate to very strong correlation with UE-YBT (r = 0.315-0.755, P < 0.01) and a strong correlation with CKCUEST (r = 0.4-0.67, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the UE-SEBT performance showed weak-to-strong correlations with MVIC (r = 0.26-0.43, P < 0.05). UE-SEBT was also correlated with LTET, TEET, and TFET to varying degrees. CONCLUSION: UE-SEBT has good reliability and validity to assess UE dynamic balance compared with other tests. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: UE-SEBT can be used as a clinical assessment method to evaluate UE dynamic balance and injury prevention.

Honokiol Attenuates Choroidal Neovascularization by Inhibiting the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-α/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Axis via Nuclear Transcription Factor-Kappa B Activation.

PURPOSE: Honokiol is a lignan isolated from Magnolia officinalis and exhibits anti-angiogenic properties. This study was conducted to investigate the role of honokiol in choroidal neovascularization. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were treated with honokiol at 10-20 mg/kg by daily intraperitoneal injection from day 1 to 6 after laser photocoagulation. ARPE-19 cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions with or without the presence of honokiol. After laser photocoagulation and honokiol treatment, hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunofluorescence and fundus fluorescein angiography were used to analyze the effect of honokiol on choroidal neovascularization formation. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence, luciferase assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to explore the mechanism of honokiol in the pathological process of choroidal neovascularization. Finally, the role of honokiol on the human choroidal vascular endothelial cells was detected by using 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine assay, Transwell and Tube formation assays. RESULTS: The results of hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunofluorescence suggested that honokiol reduced the thickness, length, and area of choroidal neovascularization lesions in laser-induced choroidal neovascularization mouse model. Fundus fluorescein angiography showed that choroidal neovascularization leakage was reduced in honokiol group and the concentration of 20 mg/kg showed better effects. Mechanism studies have shown that honokiol exerted inhibitory effects on choroidal neovascularization by inactivating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor axis through the nuclear transcription factor-kappa B signaling pathway. The same results were obtained in ARPE-19 cells under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, the conditional medium of retinal pigmented epithelial cells promoted the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human choroidal vascular endothelial cells, while honokiol reversed these. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that honokiol attenuated choroidal neovascularization formation by inactivating the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor axis through nuclear transcription factor-kappa B signaling pathway.

Chemical Composition and Insecticidal Activities of Blumea balsamifera (Sambong) Essential Oil Against Three Stored Product Insects.

Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Asteraceae), also known as sambong, is a perennial herb used in China for medicinal purposes. The essential oil (EO) of B. balsamifera was extracted by hydrodistillation. Thirty chemical components of the EO were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC, accounting for 88.0% (w/w) of the total oil. The EO of B. balsamifera was mainly composed of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, in which borneol (23.3%), ß-caryophyllene (20.9%) and camphor (11.8%) were the major components. The insecticidal activities of the EO and its three main compounds against Tribolium castaneum, Lasioderma serricorne and Sitophilus oryzae were evaluated. The results of bioassays displayed that the EO of B. balsamifera did not have fumigant toxicity to the three target insects, but exhibited significant contact activity against L. serricorne (LD50 = 12.4 µg/adult) and S. oryzae (LD50 = 44.4 µg/adult). Meanwhile, the EO showed a notable repellent effect on T. castaneum at all testing concentrations and a general repellent effect on S. oryzae at high concentrations (78.63 nL/cm2). ß-Caryophyllene showed the best performance in the contact toxicity bioassays against the three insects. The results indicated that B. balsamifera has the potential to be used as a source of botanical insecticides for the control of stored-product insects.

The role of mitochondrial dysfunction in macrophages on SiO2 -induced pulmonary fibrosis: A review.

Several epidemiologic and toxicological studies have widely regarded that mitochondrial dysfunction is a popular molecular event in the process of silicosis from different perspectives, but the details have not been systematically summarized yet. Thus, it is necessary to investigate how silica dust leads to pulmonary fibrosis by damaging the mitochondria of macrophages. In this review, we first introduce the molecular mechanisms that silica dust induce mitochondrial morphological and functional abnormalities and then introduce the main molecular mechanisms that silica-damaged mitochondria induce pulmonary fibrosis. Finally, we conclude that the mitochondrial abnormalities of alveolar macrophages caused by silica dust are involved deeply in the pathogenesis of silicosis through these two sequential mechanisms. Therefore, reducing the silica-damaged mitochondria will prevent the potential occurrence and fatality of the disease in the future.