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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although vitamin D (VD) supplementation or calcium supplementation during pregnancy has become publicly accepted and part of health care behavior, the effect of co-supplementation on preterm birth remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore whether the supplementation with vitamin D and calcium during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth. METHODS: The study was the baseline survey from the birth cohort in Jinan, which was built at one month after the baby birth. Preterm birth and monthly VD and calcium supplementation during pregnancy were obtained by the questionnaire. The logistic model was conducted to exam the association. The distributed lag nonlinear model was applied to explore the critical window for the supplements. RESULTS: Preterm birth occurred in 4.4 % (285/6501) of the study subjects with single live births and the rates were 39.7% and 82.6% for single VD supplementation or calcium supplementation in pregnancy. The adjusted OR (95% CI) for preterm birth was 1.428 (1.115-1.829) related to VD and 0.883 (0.652-1.216) related to calcium. It is interesting to note that the increased risk of preterm birth with VD supplementation during pregnancy was only seen in pregnant women who supplemented with calcium (OR was 1.600) and had a significant increase in preterm birth weight (P = 0.040). Besides, supplementation VD with calcium during pregnancy from the 3rd to 6th month during pregnancy was associated with preterm birth (OR3rd = 1.216, 95% CI: 1.119-1.320; OR4th = 1.275, 95% CI: 1.152-1.411; OR5th = 1.279, 95% CI: 1.130-1.446; OR6th = 1.208, 95% CI: 1.076-1.356). Moreover, birth weight mediated 10.8% of the total effect of supplementation on preterm birth. CONCLUSION: Women who supplemented with VD among taking calcium during pregnancy were more likely to experience preterm birth, and birth weight partly mediates the effect. The critical window for association between supplements and preterm birth may be from the 3rd to 6th weeks of pregnancy.
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Purpose: COPD patients frequently have abnormal serum phosphorus levels. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between serum phosphorus levels with hospital and 90-day mortality in critically ill patients with COPD. Patients and Methods: The MIMIC IV database was used for this retrospective cohort analysis. We extracted demographics, vital signs, laboratory tests, comorbidity, antibiotic usage, ventilation and scoring systems within the first 24 hours of ICU admission. Restricted cubic splines and multivariate cox regression analysis models were used to evaluate the connection between serum phosphorus with hospital and 90-day mortality. We assessed and classified various factors including gender, age, renal disease, severe liver disease, the utilization of antibiotics and congestive heart failure. Results: We included a total of 3611 patients with COPD, with a median age of 70.7 years. After adjusting for all other factors, we observed a significant positive association between serum phosphate levels with both hospital mortality (HR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.07-1.31, p<0.001) and 90-day mortality (HR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.24, p<0.001). Compared to the medium group (Q2 ≥3.15, <4.0), the adjusted hazard ratios for hospital mortality were 1.47 (95% CI: 1.08-2, p=0.013), and 1.31 (95% CI: 1.06-1.61, p=0.013) for 90-day mortality in the high group (Q3≥4.0). Hospital mortality decreased at serum phosphate levels below 3.8 mg/dl (HR 0.664, 95% CI: 0.468-0.943, p=0.022), but increased for both hospital (HR 1.312, 95% CI: 1.141-1.509, p<0.001) and 90-day mortality (HR 1.236, 95% CI: 1.102-1.386, p<0.001) when levels were above 3.8 mg/dl. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses yielded consistent results. Conclusion: In critical ill COPD patients, this study demonstrated a non-linear association between serum phosphate levels and both hospital and 90-day mortality. Notably, there was an inflection point at 3.8 mg/dl, indicating a significant shift in outcomes. Future prospective research is necessary to validate this correlation.
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Biomarcadores , Enfermedad Crítica , Mortalidad Hospitalaria , Fosfatos , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica , Humanos , Estudios Retrospectivos , Masculino , Femenino , Anciano , Enfermedad Crítica/mortalidad , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/mortalidad , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/sangre , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/diagnóstico , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores de Tiempo , Factores de Riesgo , Biomarcadores/sangre , Fosfatos/sangre , Medición de Riesgo , Bases de Datos Factuales , Pronóstico , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Hiperfosfatemia/sangre , Hiperfosfatemia/mortalidad , Hiperfosfatemia/diagnósticoRESUMEN
To investigate the differences of nanocelluloses with various morphologies, ammonium persulphate (APS) oxidation, H3PO4 dissolution and regeneration, and ball milling combined with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) as a medium were applied to isolate cellulose nanocrystals (MCNCs), cellulose nanospheres (MCNSs) and cellulose fibrils (MCNFs) from millet bran. The structure, properties, and formation mechanism of three nanocelluloses were comparatively investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force microscope, scanning electronic microscope, and emulsifying ability evaluation. MCNCs had needle-like structures due to the removal of amorphous regions, MCNFs appeared fibrous structures due to swelling and mechanical force, and MCNSs displayed spherical structures through self-assembly. MCNCs and MCNFs were confirmed to exhibit cellulose I structures with crystallinities of 61.24 % and 50.09 %, respectively. MCNSs showed the highest crystallinity of 68.41 % with a cellulose II structure. MCNFs and MCNSs exhibited higher initial decomposition temperatures, while MCNCs showed the highest residual mass. MCNFs suspension showed the highest apparent viscosity, while MCNSs suspension demonstrated superior dispersion. MCNSs-emulsion displayed the smallest droplet size, and MCNFs-emulsion exhibited the highest viscosity. This study reveals the formation mechanisms and relationship between morphologies and properties of three millet bran nanocelluloses, providing a theoretical basis for their application.
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Sliding ferroelectricity in 2D materials, arising from interlayer sliding-induced interlayer hybridization and charge redistribution at the van der Waals interface, offers a means to manipulate spontaneous polarization at the atomic scale through various methods such as stacking order, interfacial contact, and electric field. However, the practical application of extending 2D sliding ferroelectricity remains challenging due to the contentious mechanisms and the complex device structures required for ferroelectric switching. Here, a sliding memristor based on a graphene/parallel-stacked hexagonal boron nitride/graphene tunneling device, featuring a stable memristive hysteresis induced by interfacial polarizations and barrier height modulations, is presented. As the tunneling current density increases, the memristive window broadens, achieving an on/off ratio of ≈103 and 2 order decrease of the trigger current density, attributed to the interlayer migration of positively charged boron ions and the formation of conductive filaments, as supported by the theoretical calculations. The findings open a path for exploring the sliding memristor via a tunneling device and bridge the gap between sliding ferroelectricity and memory applications.
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Metals in the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) play an important role on the fate of disinfection by-products (DBPs). They can increase the formation of DBPs through several mechanisms, such as enhancing the proportion of reactive halogen species (RHS), catalysing the reaction between natural organic matter (NOM) and RHS through complexation, or by increasing the conversion of NOM into DBP precursors. This review comprehensively summarizes these complex processes, focusing on the most important metals (copper, iron, manganese) in DWDS and their impact on various DBPs. It organizes the dispersed 'metals-DBPs' experimental results into an easily accessible content structure and presents their underlying common or unique mechanisms. Furthermore, the practically valuable application directions of these research findings were analysed, including the toxicity changes of DBPs in DWDS under the influence of metals and the potential enhancement of generalization in DBP model research by the introduction of metals. Overall, this review revealed that the metal environment within DWDS is a crucial factor influencing DBP levels in tap water.
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Desinfección , Agua Potable , Metales , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua , Purificación del Agua , Agua Potable/química , Desinfectantes , Abastecimiento de AguaRESUMEN
This study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation on the structural, physicochemical, and digestive properties of foxtail millet starches. The fermented starch granules formed a structure with honeycomb-like dents, uneven pores, and reduced particle size. As the fermentation time extended, the amylose content of waxy (0.88 %) and non-waxy (33.71 %) foxtail millet starches decreased to the minimum value at 24 h (0.59 % and 29.19 %, respectively), and then increased to 0.85 % and 31.87 % at 72 h, respectively. Both native and fermented foxtail millet starches exhibited an A-type crystal structure. Compared with native samples, the fermented samples performed enhanced proportion of short-branched chain, crystallinity, and short-range ordered degree. After fermentation for 24 h, the solubility, adsorption capacity, and pasting viscosity of foxtail millet starches improved, whereas the swelling power, pasting temperature, breakdown, setback, and degree of retrogradation reduced. Additionally, fermentation increased the transition temperatures, enthalpy, and digestibility. Overall, Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation is considered a competent choice to regulate the characteristics of foxtail millet starch.
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Digestión , Fermentación , Microbiología de Alimentos , Lactobacillus plantarum , Almidón , Lactobacillus plantarum/metabolismo , Almidón/química , Almidón/metabolismo , Almidón/ultraestructura , Tamaño de la Partícula , Amilosa/análisis , Cristalografía por Rayos XRESUMEN
Previous studies indicated per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were related to uric acid and hyperuricemia risk, but evidence for the exposure-response (E-R) curves and combined effect of PFAS mixture is limited. Moreover, the potential mediation effect of kidney function was not assessed. Hence, we conducted a national cross-sectional study involving 13,979 US adults in NHANES 2003-2018 to examine the associations of serum PFAS with uric acid and hyperuricemia risk, and the mediation effects of kidney function. Generalized linear models and E-R curves showed positive associations of individual PFAS with uric acid and hyperuricemia risk, and nearly linear E-R curves indicated no safe threshold for PFAS. Weighted quantile sum regression found positive associations of PFAS mixture with uric acid and hyperuricemia risk, and PFOA was the dominant contributor to the adverse effect of PFAS on uric acid and hyperuricemia risk. Causal mediation analysis indicated significant mediation effects of kidney function decline in the associations of PFAS with uric acid and hyperuricemia risk, with the mediated proportion ranging from 19 % to 57 %. Our findings suggested that PFAS, especially PFOA, may cause increased uric acid and hyperuricemia risk increase even at low levels, and kidney function decline plays a crucial mediation effect.
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Fluorocarburos , Hiperuricemia , Riñón , Ácido Úrico , Humanos , Ácido Úrico/sangre , Hiperuricemia/inducido químicamente , Hiperuricemia/sangre , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Femenino , Adulto , Fluorocarburos/toxicidad , Fluorocarburos/sangre , Estudios Transversales , Riñón/efectos de los fármacos , Riñón/fisiopatología , Contaminantes Ambientales/toxicidad , Contaminantes Ambientales/sangre , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/efectos adversos , Encuestas Nutricionales , AncianoRESUMEN
Ultrasonic assisted acetic acid hydrolysis was applied to prepare starch nanocrystals (SNCs) from native starches with different crystalline structures (A, B, and C types). The structure properties, morphology, Pickering emulsion stability and curcumin deliver capacity of both SNCs and native starches were investigated and compared. Compared with native starches, SNCs showed smaller size and higher crystallinity. The size of SNCs varied with different crystalline types, with C-type starch exhibiting the smallest SNCs (107.4 nm), followed by A-type (113.8 nm), and B-type displaying the largest particle size (149.0 nm). SNCs-Pickering emulsion showed enhanced stability with smaller emulsion droplets, higher static stability, and denser oil/water interface. SNCs-Pickering emulsions displayed higher curcumin loading efficiency (53.53 %-61.41 %) compared with native starch-Pickering emulsions (13.93 %-19.73 %). During in vitro digestion, SNCs-Pickering emulsions proved to be more proficient in protecting and prolonging the biological activity of curcumin due to their smaller size and better interfacial properties. These findings demonstrated the potential of SNCs for application in Pickering emulsion and delivery of bioactive components.
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Ácido Acético , Curcumina , Emulsiones , Nanopartículas , Almidón , Curcumina/química , Almidón/química , Emulsiones/química , Nanopartículas/química , Ácido Acético/química , Tamaño de la Partícula , Estabilidad de Medicamentos , Hidrólisis , Cristalización , Ondas Ultrasónicas , Portadores de Fármacos/químicaRESUMEN
Purpose: We aimed to examine the association between exercise during pregnancy and preterm birth (PTB). Methods: This study was a baseline survey of the Jinan birth cohort. The study subjects were the mothers one month after giving birth, which were investigated by questionnaires retrospectively containing physical exercise (frequency, time, and primary exercise patterns) during pregnancy and each trimester. Individual time spent on exercise and energy expenditure were assessed based on the questionnaires. PTB was clinically defined as a newborn born on or before the last day of the 37th week. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were estimated using logistic regression to assess the relationship between exercise during pregnancy and the risk of PTB. Variable selection for the multivariate models was guided by the directed acyclic graph. The median effect was analyzed by the sequential test. Results: The prevalence of PTB in this study was 4.38% (285/6501). The adjusted OR (95% CI) for the risk of PTB related to exercise during pregnancy was 0.74 (0.58-0.95). During the 1st and 2nd trimesters, the ORs (95% CI) for 2.5 to 7 hours of exercise per week were 0.77 (0.59-0.99) and 0.74 (0.57-0.96). During the 3rd trimester, the ORs (95% CI) for 2.5 to 7 hours and more than 7 hours of exercise per week were 0.74 (0.56-0.96) and 0.65 (0.44-0.94). After stratifying the subjects, the association was only found among subjects without pregnancy complications. Pregnancy complications partially mediated (52.40%) the relationship between exercise during pregnancy and PTB. Conclusion: Exercise during pregnancy can reduce the risk of PTB for women without pregnancy complications. 2.5 to 7 hours of exercise (like walking) per week may be appropriate in three trimesters of pregnancy, and the time could be extended in the 3rd trimester.
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Ultrathin 2D ferroelectrics with high Curie temperature are critical for multifunctional ferroelectric devices. However, the ferroelectric spontaneous polarization is consistently broken by the strong thermal fluctuations at high temperature, resulting in the rare discovery of high-temperature ferroelectricity in 2D materials. Here, a chemical vapor deposition method is reported to synthesize 2D CuCrSe2 nanosheets. The crystal structure is confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization. The measured ferroelectric phase transition temperature of ultrathin CuCrSe2 is about ≈800 K. Significantly, the switchable ferroelectric polarization is observed in ≈5.2 nm nanosheet. Moreover, the in-plane and out-of-plane ferroelectric response are modulated by different maximum bias voltage. This work provides a new insight into the construction of 2D ferroelectrics with high Curie temperature.
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BACKGROUND: Constrained by no proper way to assess cumulative exposure, the joint effect of air pollution cumulative exposure doses on childhood asthma and wheezing (AW) was not understood. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between cumulative exposure to multiple air pollutants in early life and childhood AW. METHODS: We designed a nested case-control study based on the birth cohort in Jinan City. Children with AW followed up within 2 years after birth were treated as cases, and non-cases in this cohort were treated as the control source population, and the propensity score matching method was used to match each case to 5 controls. We calculated the individual cumulative outdoor exposure doses for each period using an inverse distance weighted model, alongside the complex Simpson's formula, accounting for outdoor time and respiratory volume. The Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression was performed to screen for covariates. To analyze the joint effects of pollutants, we employed the weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression model in conjunction with conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: 84 cases and 420 controls were included in this study. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of the impact of cumulative exposure (mg/m3) after birth on childhood AW was 1.78 (1.15-2.74) for SO2, 1.69 (1.11-2.57) for NO2, and 1.65 (1.09-2.52) for PM2.5, respectively. Furthermore, with each 25th percentile increase in the WQS index, the overall risk of cumulative doses for six pollutants exposure after birth on AW increased by an adjusted OR of 1.10 (1.03, 1.18), and SO2, PM2.5, and NO2 contributed the most to the WQS index. However, no statistically significant association was found between cumulative exposure to all pollutants before birth and childhood AW. CONCLUSIONS: There was a joint effect of the cumulative exposure dose of outdoor air pollutants after birth on AW in children aged 0-2 years. And traffic-related pollutants (SO2, PM2.5, and NO2) make a greater contribution to the joint effect.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos , Contaminación del Aire , Asma , Contaminantes Ambientales , Niño , Humanos , Preescolar , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Ruidos Respiratorios , Dióxido de Nitrógeno , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/efectos adversos , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/análisis , Asma/epidemiología , Contaminación del Aire/efectos adversos , Contaminación del Aire/análisis , Material Particulado/análisisRESUMEN
The O-glycosylation of polyphenols for the synthesis of glycosides has garnered substantial attention in food research applications. However, the practical utility of UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) is significantly hindered by their low catalytic efficiency and suboptimal regioselectivity. The concurrent optimization of the regioselectivity and activity during the glycosylation of polyphenols presents a formidable challenge. Here, we addressed the long-standing activity-regioselectivity tradeoff in glycosyltransferase UGTBL1 through systematic enzyme engineering. The optimal combination of mutants, N61S/I62M/D63W/A208R/P218W/R282W (SMWRW1W2), yielded a 6.1-fold improvement in relative activity and a 17.3-fold increase in the ratio of gastrodin to para-hydroxybenzyl alcohol-4'-O-ß-glucoside (with 89.5% regioselectivity for gastrodin) compared to those of the wild-type enzyme and ultimately allowed gram-scale production of gastrodin (1,066.2 mg/L) using whole-cell biocatalysis. In addition, variant SMWRW1W2 exhibited a preference for producing phenolic glycosides from several substrates. This study lays the foundation for the engineering of additional UGTs and the practical applications of UGTs in regioselective retrofitting.
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Alcoholes Bencílicos , Glicósidos , Glicosiltransferasas , Uridina Difosfato , Glucósidos , Fenoles , PolifenolesRESUMEN
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a master driver of RNA function and implicates in the pathogenesis of renal injury. LncRNA SNHG14 is highly expressed in sepsis patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and aggravates kidney cell dysfunction. This study aimed to explore whether demethylase FTO affect m6A methylation of SNHG14 in AKI injury and its underlying mechanism. The expression level of FTO was obviously downregulated in sepsis-associated AKI patients compared with normal controls. Mechanistically, FTO overexpression impeded SNHG14 expression by decreasing the stability of SNHG14 in an m6A-dependent manner in LPS-induced HK-2 cells. Additionally, FTO overexpression inhibited cell autophagy and apoptosis while promoting cell viability of LPS-induced HK-2 cells. Moreover, overexpression of FTO inhibited SNHG14 expression and autophagy in LPS-induced AKI mice. Functionally, SNHG14 acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) via directly sponging miR-373-3p in LPS induced HK-2 cells. Additionally, miR-373-3p directly targets ATG7. Inhibition of SNHG14 suppresses NF-κB signaling pathway and production of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß) via miR-373-3p/ATG7 in LPS-induced HK-2 cells. Furthermore, the SNHG14/miR-373-3p/ATG7 interaction network contributes to the regulatory effect of FTO on LPS-induced HK-2 cell viability, apoptosis and autophagy. These results suggested demethylase FTO suppressed the m6A modification of lncRNA SNHG14 and inhibits autophagy in LPS-induced AKI via regulating miR-373-3p/ATG7, which provided an important novel perspective for understanding sepsis-associated AKI and is conducive for developing new therapeutic targets and strategies.
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Lesión Renal Aguda , MicroARNs , ARN Largo no Codificante , Sepsis , Humanos , Animales , Ratones , Lipopolisacáridos/farmacología , ARN Largo no Codificante/genética , MicroARNs/genética , Apoptosis , Lesión Renal Aguda/genética , Autofagia , Sepsis/complicaciones , Dioxigenasa FTO Dependiente de Alfa-CetoglutaratoRESUMEN
Ethanol-acid penetration and drying-heating treatment was developed to shorten the preparation time and improve the quality of starch nanocrystals (SNCs). After treatment by optimized parameters, including 40 % ethanol solution, 10.6 mM chloric acid, and heating time of 1.5 h or 2.0 h, the starches exhibited weakened internal structure and relatively complete crystalline structure. Compared with the regular preparation of only acid hydrolysis, the regular final yield (8.5 % after 5 days) was reached in 48 h and 12 h of the starch heated at 1.5 h and 2.0 h, respectively. The micromorphology, molecular weight, and crystalline structure evaluation demonstrated that the collected nanoparticles were indeed SNCs with smaller size and higher relative crystallinity than regular SNCs. Further analysis found that the SNCs had better crystalline lamellae, higher thermal stability, and lower proportion of phosphorus and sulfur atoms than regular SNCs. This provided a potential method for the high-efficiency preparation of SNCs.
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Nanopartículas , Almidón , Almidón/química , Etanol , Calefacción , Tamaño de la Partícula , Ácidos , Nanopartículas/químicaRESUMEN
The effect of physical activity (PA) on academic achievement has long been a hot research issue in physical education, but few studies have been conducted using machine learning methods for analyzing activity behavior. In this paper, we collected the data on both physical activity and academic performance from 2,219 undergraduate students (Mean = 19 years) over a continuous period of 12 weeks within one academic semester. Based on students' behavioral indicators transformed from a running APP interface and the average academic course scores, two models were constructed and processed by CHAID decision tree for regression analysis and significance detection. It was found that first, to attain higher academic performance, it is imperative for students to not only exhibit exceptional activity regularity, but also sustain a reduced average step frequency; second, the students completing running exercise with an average frequency of 1 time/week and the duration of 16-25 min excelled over approximately 88 percentage of other students on academic performance; third, the processing validity and reliability of physical observation data in complex systems can be improved by utilizing decision tree as a leveraging machine learning tool and statistical method. These findings provide insights for educational practitioners and policymakers who will seek to enhance college students' academic performance through physical education programs, combined with data mining methods.
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This study investigated the structure and quality characteristics of hard and crispy parched rice obtained from raw proso millet through steaming, roasting, and milling. Results showed that thermal treatment disrupted the structure of samples and transformed the crystal from A-type in raw proso to V-type in parched rice. Rheological and thermodynamic analyses revealed that thermal treatment reduced the stability of parched rice. Gelatinization tests demonstrated that the parched rice was easier to gelatinize and had a lower viscosity. The digestibility of hard parched rice and crispy parched rice improved, with rapidly digestible starch content increasing by 73.62% and 76.95%, respectively, compared with that of raw proso millet. Headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results further indicated that thermal treatment enhanced the flavor substances of parched rice. These findings demonstrated the unique properties of parched rice and supported its production and processing as a whole grain.
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BACKGROUND Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) at L4-L5 impacts paravertebral muscle morphology. Intervertebral disc degeneration is linked to paravertebral muscle changes, affecting LDH treatment outcomes. This study explored L4-L5 LDH paravertebral muscle alterations, specifically in the erector spinae, multifidus, and psoas major, using Michigan State University's classification to guide LDH treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study enrolled 160 patients, including 39 normal patients and 121 L4-L5 LDH patients. Patients with LDH were grouped according to MSU classification and compared to the normal group according to demographics and imaging changes. RESULTS In patients with L4-L5 herniation in Zone B, the FI of the ES muscle at L3-L4 level, L4-L5 level, and L5-S1 level was higher than that of normal people (P=0.018, P=0.043, P=0.010, respectively), and there was no difference between FI of MF and normal people. The Zone B patients also had a smaller CSA of the ES muscle at L4-L5 level than that in the normal group (P=0.049). Patients in the Zone C group were older than those in the normal group (P=0.014). The CSA of the PM of patients with Grade 3 herniation differed from that of the normal group at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 level. They were higher than in normal people at L4-L5 level (P=0.011) and lower at L5-S1 level (P=0.028). CONCLUSIONS In patients with L4-L5 herniation in Zone B, the FI of ES at L3-S1 level was higher than in normal people, and the CSA at L4-L5 level was smaller than in normal people. In patients with Grade3 herniation, PM CSA was larger at L4-L5 level and smaller at L5-S1 level than in normal people.
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Degeneración del Disco Intervertebral , Desplazamiento del Disco Intervertebral , Humanos , Michigan , Universidades , Vértebras Lumbares , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Músculos PsoasRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Maintaining the repair phenotype of denervated Schwann cells in the injured distal nerve is crucial for promoting peripheral nerve regeneration. However, when chronically denervated, the capacity of Schwann cells to support repair and regeneration deteriorates, leading to peripheral nerve regeneration and poor functional recovery. Herein, we investigated whether neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) could sustain the reparative phenotype of Schwann cells and promote peripheral nerve regeneration after chronic denervation and aimed to uncover its potential molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Western blot was employed to investigate the relationship between the expression of c-Jun and the reparative phenotype of Schwann cells. The inducible expression of c-Jun by NT-3 was examined both in vitro and in vivo with western blot and immunofluorescence staining. A chronic denervation model was established to study the role of NT-3 in peripheral nerve regeneration. The number of regenerated distal axons, myelination of regenerated axons, reinnervation of neuromuscular junctions, and muscle fiber diameters of target muscles were used to evaluate peripheral nerve regeneration by immunofluorescence staining, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) 2/9 carrying shRNA, small molecule inhibitors, and siRNA were employed to investigate whether NT-3 could signal through the TrkC/ERK pathway to maintain c-Jun expression and promote peripheral nerve regeneration after chronic denervation. RESULTS: After peripheral nerve injury, c-Jun expression progressively increased until week 5 and then began to decrease in the distal nerve following denervation. NT-3 upregulated the expression of c-Jun in denervated Schwann cells, both in vitro and in vivo. NT-3 promoted peripheral nerve regeneration after chronic denervation, mainly by upregulating or maintaining a high level of c-Jun rather than NT-3 itself. The TrkC receptor was consistently presented on denervated Schwann cells and served as NT-3 receptors following chronic denervation. NT-3 mainly upregulated c-Jun through the TrkC/ERK pathway. CONCLUSION: NT-3 promotes peripheral nerve regeneration by maintaining the repair phenotype of Schwann cells after chronic denervation via the TrkC/ERK/c-Jun pathway. It provides a potential target for the clinical treatment of peripheral nerve injury after chronic denervation.
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Regeneración Nerviosa , Neurotrofina 3 , Traumatismos de los Nervios Periféricos , Células de Schwann , Humanos , Axones/metabolismo , Desnervación , Sistema de Señalización de MAP Quinasas , Regeneración Nerviosa/genética , Regeneración Nerviosa/fisiología , Neurotrofina 3/genética , Neurotrofina 3/metabolismo , Traumatismos de los Nervios Periféricos/genética , Traumatismos de los Nervios Periféricos/metabolismo , Traumatismos de los Nervios Periféricos/terapia , Proteínas Tirosina Quinasas Receptoras/metabolismo , Células de Schwann/metabolismoRESUMEN
To prevent starch nanocrystals (SNCs) that are generated at an early stage from being hydrolyzed excessively, this study proposed a new separation method, named "neutral dispersion and acidic precipitation." SNCs were prepared from waxy potato starch by sulfuric acid hydrolysis. Based on the results of kinetics and molecular weight, the hydrolysis was divided into three stages, e.g., rapid (initial 1 day), medium (subsequent 1 day) and slow stage (2-5 days). The rapid and medium stages were related to the degradation of amorphous region in starch, and the slow stage mainly referred to SNC release. Therefore, the method was developed to separate SNCs at the slow stage. After centrifugation at 6000 rpm, large particles were removed from the SNC suspension under pH 7. The SNCs with small average size and crystallite size, high relative crystallinity (RC), and high dispersion stability in the supernatant were retained and were then precipitated entirely under pH 5, because pH 5 led to the reduction of dispersion stability of SNCs. Meanwhile, the hydrothermal and dry-thermal stability of separated SNCs were significantly promoted. The separation method has the potential in SNC preparation for increasing the yield and collecting products with small size and high RC.
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Nanopartículas , Almidón , Almidón/química , Hidrólisis , Tamaño de la Partícula , Ácidos , Nanopartículas/química , AmilopectinaRESUMEN
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized, natural, cell-derived vesicles that contain the same nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids as their source cells. Thus, they can serve as natural carriers for therapeutic agents and drugs, and have many advantages over conventional nanocarriers, including their low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility, natural blood-brain barrier penetration, and capacity for gene delivery. This review first introduces the classification of EVs and then discusses several currently popular methods for isolating and purifying EVs, EVs-mediated drug delivery, and the functionalization of EVs as carriers. Thereby, it provides new avenues for the development of EVs-based therapeutic strategies in different fields of medicine. Finally, it highlights some challenges and future perspectives with regard to the clinical application of EVs.