Molecular mechanism of Saikosaponin-d in the treatment of gastric cancer based on network pharmacology and in vitro experimental verification.

The study aimed to utilize network pharmacology combined with cell experiments to research the mechanism of action of Saikosaponin-d in the treatment of gastric cancer. Drug target genes were obtained from the PubChem database and the Swiss Target Prediction database. Additionally, target genes for gastric cancer were obtained from the GEO database and the Gene Cards database. The core targets were then identified and further analyzed through gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and GESA enrichment. The clinical relevance of the core targets was assessed using the GEPIA and HPA databases. Molecular docking of drug monomers and core target proteins was performed using Auto Duck Tools and Pymol software. Finally, in vitro cellular experiments including cell viability, apoptosis, cell scratch, transwell invasion, transwell migration, qRT-PCR, and Western blot were conducted to verify these findings of network pharmacology. The network pharmacology analysis predicted that the drug monomers interacted with 54 disease targets. Based on clinical relevance analysis, six core targets were selected: VEGFA, IL2, CASP3, BCL2L1, MMP2, and MMP1. Molecular docking results showed binding activity between the Saikosaponin-d monomer and these core targets. Saikosaponin-d could inhibit gastric cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and inhibit cell migration and invasion.

Hawthorn with "homology of medicine and food": a review of anticancer effects and mechanisms.

Over the past few years, there has been a gradual increase in the incidence of cancer, affecting individuals at younger ages. With its refractory nature and substantial fatality rate, cancer presents a notable peril to human existence and wellbeing. Hawthorn, a medicinal food homology plant belonging to the Crataegus genus in the Rosaceae family, holds great value in various applications. Due to its long history of medicinal use, notable effects, and high safety profile, hawthorn has garnered considerable attention and plays a crucial role in cancer treatment. Through the integration of modern network pharmacology technology and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a range of anticancer active ingredients in hawthorn have been predicted, identified, and analyzed. Studies have shown that ingredients such as vitexin, isoorientin, ursolic acid, and maslinic acid, along with hawthorn extracts, can effectively modulate cancer-related signaling pathways and manifest anticancer properties via diverse mechanisms. This review employs network pharmacology to excavate the potential anticancer properties of hawthorn. By systematically integrating literature across databases such as PubMed and CNKI, the review explores the bioactive ingredients with anticancer effects, underlying mechanisms and pathways, the synergistic effects of drug combinations, advancements in novel drug delivery systems, and ongoing clinical trials concerning hawthorn's anticancer properties. Furthermore, the review highlights the preventive health benefits of hawthorn in cancer prevention, offering valuable insights for clinical cancer treatment and the development of TCM with anticancer properties that can be used for both medicinal and edible purposes.

Effect of scapular posterior tilting exercise on scapular muscle activities in men and women with a rounded shoulder posture.

Round-shoulder posture (RSP) is a common postural condition, characterized by protraction, downward rotation, anterior tilting and internal rotation of the scapula. RSP can lead to shoulder dysfunction. Different methods have been proposed for rehabilitating and correcting the altered posture in RSP including stretching, strengthening exercises, and shoulder brace or taping. However, the findings are controversial and studies are ongoing to develop more effective method. The present study is aimed at investigating the effects of scapular posterior tilting (SPT) exercise in different support positions on scapular muscle activities in men and women with RSP. In a prospective observational clinical study, we assessed demographic, basic clinical parameters and study variables of the subjects with RSP (n = 20) (men/women = 9/11) attending Daegu University in Gyeongsan, South Korea. To do so, we compared electromyographic (EMG) activities of lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles between men and women with RSP during SPT exercise on four different support surfaces to determine any difference in the EMG activities. The results revealed that women showed significant differences in EMG activities in the lower and left upper trapezius and serratus anterior muscles, while men showed significant differences in EMG activity only in the lower trapezius muscle during SPT exercise on four different surfaces (P < 0.05). The post-hoc analysis revealed significantly greater EMG activity values in the lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles during SPT exercise on the upper body unstable surface and whole-body unstable surface (p < 0.05). Independent t-tests after the Bonferroni correction showed no significant differences in muscle activities between men and women on the four different surfaces (p > 0.0125).

Ginsenosides in cancer: Proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance.

Ginseng, the dried root of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., is widely used in Chinese herbal medicine. Ginsenosides, the primary active components of ginseng, exhibit diverse anticancer functions through various mechanisms, such as inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, and suppressing cell invasion and migration. In this article, the mechanism of action of 20 ginsenoside subtypes in tumor therapy and the research progress of multifunctional nanosystems are reviewed, in order to provide reference for clinical prevention and treatment of cancer.

Effectiveness of Low-frequency Pulse Electrical Stimulation Combined with Dexamethasone in Treating Facial Nerve Paralysis and Its Impact on Facial Nerve Function and Electromyography.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of adjunct low-frequency pulse electrical stimulation alongside dexamethasone in the treatment of facial nerve paralysis and its subsequent effects on facial nerve function and electromyographic parameters. With the aim of addressing a knowledge gap in the field, this research provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of combining these treatments and their impact on clinical outcomes, facial nerve functionality, and electromyographic dynamics. Methods: A cohort of 66 patients with facial nerve paralysis treated at our institution between April 2018 and November 2021 were randomly assigned to either an observation (n=33) or an experimental group (n=33). The observation group received standard pharmacotherapy, including Western medications and Daqinjiao decoction, along with dexamethasone. The experimental group was administered low-frequency pulse electrical stimulation in addition to the observation group's regimen. Outcomes assessed were clinical efficacy, facial nerve paralysis scoring, facial nerve functional scoring and indices, electromyographic latency, amplitude ratios between affected and unaffected sides, as well as any adverse events. Results: The experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement over the observation group in clinical treatment outcomes, facial nerve paralysis scores, and facial nerve function scores (P < .05 for all). Furthermore, electromyographic analysis revealed shorter latency periods and greater amplitude ratios in the experimental group's facial muscles post-treatment (P < .05). No significant difference was observed in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P > .05). Conclusion: The integration of low-frequency pulse electrical stimulation with dexamethasone therapy significantly ameliorates the severity of facial nerve paralysis, enhances facial nerve function, and improves electromyographic signals in facial muscles without increasing adverse effects. These findings support the clinical value and safety of this combined treatment approach for facial nerve paralysis, suggesting its suitability for broader clinical application. These results suggest that this combined treatment approach holds promise for broader clinical application, potentially providing a more effective and safer therapeutic option for patients with facial nerve paralysis. Implementing this approach in clinical practice may lead to improved treatment outcomes, better functional recovery, and enhanced quality of life for affected individuals.

Effects of dapagliflozin on body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Evidence­based practice.

The dose-dependent pharmacological response to dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with regard to weight loss remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of dapagliflozin on weight loss in patients with T2DM. A total of 8,545 patients with T2DM from 24 randomized controlled trials reported in the literature were selected for inclusion in the study. Data from these trials were analyzed using maximal effect (Emax) models with nonlinear mixed effects modeling; the evaluation index was the body weight change rate from baseline values. Patients treated with 2.5 mg/day dapagliflozin exhibited an Emax of -3.04%, and the time taken for therapy to reach half of the Emax (ET50) was estimated to be 30.8 weeks for patients treated with this dose. Patients treated with 5, 10 and 20 mg/day dapagliflozin exhibited Emax values of -6.57, -4.12 and -3.23%, respectively, and their ET50 values were estimated to be 27.3, 20.4 and 4.23 weeks, respectively. The data indicated ideal linear relationships between individual predictions and observations, suggesting the optimal fitting of the final models. The present study is the first systematic analysis of the effect of dapagliflozin on weight loss in patients with T2DM. The application of dapagliflozin at 5 mg/day exhibited a greater weight loss effect compared with the other doses used, and the weight loss onset time shortened as the dose of dapagliflozin increased.

Optimizing the initial tacrolimus dosage in Chinese children with lung transplantation within normal hematocrit levels.

Background: The appropriate initial dosage of tacrolimus is undefined in Chinese pediatric lung transplant patients with normal hematocrit values. The purpose of this study is to optimize the initial dose of tacrolimus in Chinese children who are undergoing lung transplantation and have normal hematocrit levels. Methods: The present study is based on a published population pharmacokinetic model of tacrolimus in lung transplant patients and uses the Monte Carlo simulation to optimize the initial tacrolimus dosage in Chinese children with lung transplantation within normal hematocrit levels. Results: Within normal hematocrit levels, for children with lung transplantation who do not carry the CYP3A5*1 gene and have no coadministration with voriconazole, it is recommended to administer tacrolimus at a dosage of 0.02 mg/kg/day, divided into two doses, for children weighing 10-32 kg, and a dosage of 0.03 mg/kg/day, also divided into two doses, for children weighing 32-40 kg. For children with lung transplantation who carry the CYP3A5*1 gene and have no coadministration with voriconazole, tacrolimus dosages of 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 mg/kg/day split into two doses are recommended for children weighing 10-15, 15-32, and 32-40 kg, respectively. For children with lung transplantation who do not carry the CYP3A5*1 gene and have coadministration with voriconazole, tacrolimus dosages of 0.01 and 0.02 mg/kg/day split into two doses are recommended for children weighing 10-17 and 17-40 kg, respectively. For children with lung transplantation who carry the CYP3A5*1 gene and have coadministration with voriconazole, a tacrolimus dosage of 0.02 mg/kg/day split into two doses is recommended for children weighing 10-40 kg. Conclusions: It is the first time to optimize the initial dosage of tacrolimus in Chinese children undergoing lung transplantation within normal hematocrit.

Partial root-zone drying subsurface drip irrigation increased the alfalfa quality yield but decreased the alfalfa quality content.

Water shortage seriously restricts the development of grassland agriculture in arid land and dramatically impacts alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) quality content and hay yield. Reasonable irrigation methods have the potential to enhance the alfalfa quality content, hay yield, and thus quality yield. Whether partial root-zone drying subsurface drip irrigation (PRDSDI) improves the alfalfa quality yield, quality content, and hay yield is still unknown compared with conventional subsurface drip irrigation (CSDI). The effects of PRDSDI compared with that of CSDI and the interaction with irrigation volume (10 mm/week, 20 mm/week, and 30 mm/week) on the alfalfa quality yield were investigated in 2017-2018 and explained the change in quality yield with the alfalfa quality content and hay yield. Here, the results showed that PRDSDI did not increase the alfalfa quality yield in 2 years. PRDSDI significantly increased acid detergent fiber by 13.3% and 12.2% in 2018 with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes and neutral detergent fiber by 16.2%, 13.2%, and 12.6% in 2017 with 10-mm, 20-mm, and 30-mm irrigation volumes, respectively. PRDSDI significantly decreased the crude protein by 5.4% and 8.4% in 2018 with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes and relative feed value by 15.0% with 20-mm irrigation volume in 2017 and 9.8% with 10-mm irrigation volume in 2018, respectively. In addition, PRDSDI significantly increased the alfalfa average hay yield by 49.5% and 59.6% with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes in 2018, respectively. Our results provide a counterexample for PRDSDI to improve crop quality. Although there was no significant improvement in average quality yield by PRDSDI, the positive impact of average hay yield on quality yield outweighed the negative impact of quality content. Thus, it has the potential to improve quality yields. The novel findings regarding the effects of PRDSDI on quality yield are potentially favorable for the forage feed value in water-limited areas.

A novel montmorillonite clay-cetylpyridinium chloride material for reducing PFAS leachability and bioavailability from soils.

Soils contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present a significant threat to both ecological and human health. Extensive research efforts are currently underway to develop effective strategies for immobilizing these chemicals in soils. In this study, calcium montmorillonite was modified with cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC-CM) to enhance its electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with PFAS. CPC-CM exhibited high adsorption for perfluorooctanoate acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and 8:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acids (8:2 FTSA) across initial concentrations of 50-1000 µg/L, outperforming both the parent CM and L-carnitine modified CM. Soil leaching tests demonstrated the superior immobilization capabilities of the CPC-CM, maintaining an average PFAS leaching rate below 7% after 120-day incubation. In the context of human exposure scenarios, the in vitro bioaccessibility and in vivo bioavailability of PFAS in soils were measured by gastrointestinal extraction and mouse assay. CPC-CM treatment effectively reduced the bioaccessibility (by up to 84%) and bioavailability (by up to 76%) of PFAS in soils. Furthermore, the safety and efficacy of CPC-CM were evaluated using enteric microorganisms of mice. CPC-CM treatment mitigated PFAS-induced changes in the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, thereby reducing PFAS-induced health risks for humans. Overall, CPC-CM synthesized in this study demonstrated superior adsorption performance and application safety, offering a highly promising approach for remediating PFAS-contaminated soil.

Clinical effects of Special Pressure Ulcer Intervention Combined with Gel Positioning Pad Intervention on Preventing Acute Stress Injury in Patients Undergoing Long-Term Lateral Position Spinal Surgery.

Objective: Prevention of acute pressure injuries (PS) is critical in patients undergoing certain surgeries. This type of pressure injury can develop during and after surgery, causing unnecessary pain and complications for the patient. However, preventing PS in these high-risk patients may present some challenges and require specific nursing measures. To explore the clinical effects of special pressure ulcer intervention combined with gel positioning pad intervention on the prevention of acute stress injury in patients undergoing long-term lateral position spinal surgery. Methods: The simple randomization method was used in this study; 100 patients with lateral position spinal surgery from March 2022 to March 2023 were selected as research subjects and were divided into an observation group and control group with 50 cases in each group by the random number table method. The control group was given routine intervention, and the observation group carried out special pressure ulcer intervention and gel positioning pad intervention. Special pressure ulcer intervention was performed, using appropriate surface support to relieve pressure, keeping the patient's skin clean and dry, and turning regularly to relieve pressure. In addition, we use a gel positioning pad intervention to disperse pressure, improve local blood circulation, and reduce the risk of pressure injuries. The occurrence of acute stress injury, VAS scores at different time points after surgery, local skin infrared thermography analysis results at 72 hours after surgery, incidence rates of complications and nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups of patients. Results: The incidence rates of acute stress injury during surgery, within 2 hours after surgery and within 72 hours after surgery in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < .0046). The number and area of injury in the observation group were smaller than those in the control group (P < .0037). The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) grading of acute stress injury in the observation group was lower compared with that in the control group (P < .0021). The pain VAS scores in the observation group at 2 hours, 24 hours and 72 hours after surgery were lower than those in the control group (P < .001). The local skin infrared thermography analysis temperature values of the neck, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle were lower in the observation group than those in the control group at 72 hours after surgery (P < .001). The incidence rates of postoperative lumbago and shoulder-neck pain in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < .001). The scores of three aspects of nursing technology and nursing operation satisfaction, service attitude and humanistic care satisfaction, and nursing environment satisfaction were higher in the observation group than compared to the control group (P < .001). The findings of this study highlight the importance of specific pressure ulcer interventions that can be widely used in clinical practice and have the potential to reduce the incidence of pressure injuries and improve patient satisfaction with care. Conclusion: Special pressure ulcer intervention combined with gel positioning pad intervention has a good preventive effect on acute stress injury in patients undergoing long-term lateral position spinal surgery. Limitations of this study include the small sample size and single study institution, which may affect the external validity of the study. In addition, data collection in this study was limited to a specific time period and does not reflect long-term outcomes. Future studies could consider multi-center, broader samples, and longer follow-up to confirm the benefits of these interventions and to investigate in depth the long-term rehabilitation and quality of life of patients.

Effect of statins combined with PCSK9 inhibitors on the prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndromes after interventional therapy.

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It has been clinically confirmed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can alleviate the symptoms of ACS, but there are still some patients with slow blood flow or no-reflow after surgery, which has adverse effects on the prognosis of patients. This study aimed to investigate the effect of statins combined with PCSK9 inhibitors on the prognosis of patients with ACS after interventional therapy. A total of 208 ACS patients treated in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were separated into observation and control groups. Patients in the control group received oral rosuvastatin 20 mg/ day. Patients in the observation group received PCSK9 inhibitor elozumab (Repatha) 140 mg, subcutaneously injected twice a week. The levels of inflammatory factors, cardiac function indexes, clinical effectiveness rate, adverse events, and complications were compared before and after treatment. After 1 week of treatment and 4 weeks of follow-up, the levels of inflammatory indicators in the observation group declined relative to the control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). After 4 weeks, LVEF in the observation group was elevated in comparison to the control group, while LVEDD in the observation group declined compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse events after treatment in the observation group declined relative to the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group declined in contrast to the control group (P < 0.05). Statins combined with PCSK9 inhibitors significantly reduce LDL-C levels in ACS patients undergoing PCI without increasing cardiovascular events or major adverse clinical effects.

Exceptional structural phase transition near room temperature in an organic-inorganic hybrid ferroelectric.

An organic-inorganic hybrid ferroelectric, (C6H5CH2CH2NH3)2[HgI4], undergoes an exceptional structural phase transition near room temperature, triggered by a flip of half the organic cations and an order-disorder transition of the inorganic anions, and may be regarded as a displacive-type ferroelectric. This finding provides a new structural phase transition mechanism in molecule-based ferroelectrics.

Quantitative effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors on liver functions in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to explore the quantitative effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors on liver functions in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 4771 patients with NAFLD were included for analysis by means of nonlinear mixed effect modeling, where the change rates of liver functions were taken as the evaluation indexes so as to eliminate the potential baseline effects. RESULTS: For ALT and AST, the Emax of SGLT-2 inhibitors was -17.8% and -13.9%, respectively, and the ET50 was 6.86 weeks and 10 weeks, respectively. Furthermore, the duration time to achieve 25%, 50%, 75%, and 80% Emax were 2.3 weeks, 6.86 weeks, 20.6 weeks, 27.5 weeks in ALT, 3.4 weeks, 10 weeks, 30 weeks, 40 weeks in AST, respectively. Thus, to realize the plateau period (80% of Emax) of SGLT-2 inhibitors on ALT and AST in patients with NAFLD, 100 mg/day canagliflozin (or 10 mg/day dapagliflozin or 10 mg/day empagliflozin) needs to be taken for 20.6 weeks and 30 weeks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study explored the quantitative effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors on liver functions and recommends a therapeutic regimen in patients with NAFLD.

High endothelial venule is a prognostic immune-related biomarker in patients with resected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Having been reported to be a crucial prognostic factor in solid tumours, the role of high endothelial venule (HEV) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains unclear, however. The data of ICC and healthy individuals were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. Meanwhile, a cutting-edge ICC high-resolution spatial transcriptome was also acquired before these data were comprehensively analysed using bioinformatics approaches. Moreover, 95 individuals with ICC who had undergone resection surgery were enrolled in this study to investigate the relationship between HEV and tumour microenvironment (TME) applying immunohistochemistry and multiple immunofluorescence techniques. The high-HEV subtype contains rich immune infiltrates including tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS), CD8+ T cells, and CD20+ B cells. Furthermore, HEV and TLS exhibited a strong relationship of spatial colocalization. Correlated with improved prognostic outcomes in ICC, the high-HEV subtype could be an independent prognostic indicator for individuals with ICC. This study revealed the association of HEV with immune function and observed a strong spatial colocalization correlation between HEV and TLS. Moreover, correlated with immunotherapeutic response, HEV could improve prognostic outcomes, which may be a potential indicator of immunotherapy pathology in ICC.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the pancreatic neck misdiagnosed as neuroendocrine tumor: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a relatively rare tumor. The global incidence of IMT is less than 1%. There is no specific clinical manifestation. It usually occurs in the lungs, but the pancreas is not the predilection site. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case of a male patient, 51 years old, who was diagnosed with a pancreatic neck small mass on ultrasound one year ago during a physical examination. As he had no clinical symptoms and the mass was relatively small, he did not undergo treatment. However, the mass was found to be larger on review, and he was referred to our hospital. Since the primal clinical diagnosis was pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, the patient underwent surgical treatment. However, the case was confirmed as pancreatic IMT by postoperative pathology. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic IMT is relatively rare and easily misdiagnosed. We can better under-stand and correctly diagnose this disease by this case report.

Study on the Mechanism of Influencing Adolescents' Willingness to Participate in Ice Sports.

BACKGROUND: Ice sports are an effective means to promote the physical health of adolescents, and the willingness to participate in ice sports is the basis of adolescents' awareness of their participation in ice sports and an important prerequisite for their participation. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms influencing adolescents' willingness to participate in ice sports. METHODS: Using the stimulus-organism-response theoretical framework, the motivation-opportunity-ability model, and the technology acceptance model, a theoretical model of the influencing mechanisms of adolescents' participation in ice sports was constructed. A total of 3419 secondary school students were surveyed, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, the mechanisms influencing adolescents' willingness to participate in ice sports and the moderating role of perceived riskiness and perceived ease of use are proposed and tested. RESULTS: The study found that participation motivation, participation ability, perceived usefulness, and perceived risk all have significant effects on adolescents' willingness to participate in ice sports. The degree of influence in descending order is as follows: ability to participate, perceived usefulness, motivation to participate, and perceived risk. Perceived risk plays a mediating role in the process of motivation to participate and ability to participate influencing willingness to participate. Perceived ease of use plays a mediating role in the process of motivation to participate influencing perceived usefulness. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a systematic understanding of the mechanisms that influence adolescents' willingness to participate in ice sports. The findings provide valuable insights into the subject of adolescents' ice sport participation and can inform the development of strategies to increase participation in these activities. Future research should deepen the investigation of the patterns of willingness to participate in ice sports behavior among adolescents, which is important for promoting the sustainable development of ice sports, improving the health of adolescents, and advancing the construction of a healthy China, a healthy world, and global health.

Self-compassion buffers the impact of learned helplessness on adverse mental health during COVID-19 lockdown.

BACKGROUND: Learned helplessness may be the underlying cause of poor mental health status among college students during the COVID-19 lockdown, and self-compassion as a positive psychological quality may influence the link between learned helplessness and mental health. METHODS: A sample of 869 Chinese college students (443 male and 426 female), with a mean age of 20.03 (SD = 1.68), completed the Learned Helplessness Scale (LHS), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and DASS-21. The moderating effect of self-compassion on the relationship between learned helplessness and anxiety, depression, and stress were calculated. RESULTS: The interaction term between learned helplessness and self-compassion has a significant coefficient on anxiety, depression, and stress, pointing out self-compassion as a moderator of the association between learned helplessness and adverse mental health. LIMITATIONS: In the absence of longitudinal data or experimental manipulations, cross-sectional methods cannot verify causal conclusions among the study variables. The analysing results are based only on self-reported data. DISCUSSION: The present study contributes to a deeper understanding of how learned helplessness and self-compassion during COVID-19 contribute to adverse mental health. The findings suggest that adverse mental health during lockdown is significantly associated with learned helplessness and that self-compassion can buffer this effect, contributing to future psychotherapy and clinical research. Future studies should examine the relationship through a longitudinal design to sort out whether self-compassion is a protective factor against learned helplessness or a moderator of the effects of learned helplessness on mental health.

Cryptogam plant community stability: Warming weakens influences of species richness but enhances effects of evenness.

Community stability is a fundamental factor sustaining ecosystem functioning and is affected by species richness and species evenness. The Arctic is warming more rapidly than other biomes, and cryptogam plant species (specifically lichens and bryophytes in this study) are major contributors to tundra biodiversity and productivity. However, to our knowledge, the impacts of warming on cryptogam community stability and the underlying mechanisms have not been investigated. We conducted a 13-year summer warming experiment in mesic birch hummock tundra vegetation near Daring Lake in the continental interior of low Arctic Canada and recorded patterns of cryptogam species abundance in several different growing seasons. Warming decreased the stability of total community abundance, had no effects on species richness, but increased species evenness and species synchrony. Structural equation model analyses indicated that higher species richness was the principal factor associated with the stronger community abundance stability in the control plots and that this effect was driven primarily by a negative correlation with species synchrony. By contrast, higher species evenness was the principal factor associated with the weakened community abundance stability in the warming plots, and this effect was driven primarily by a positive correlation with species synchrony. Our study suggests that climate warming could reduce cryptogam plant community stability in low Arctic tundra and, therefore, decrease important ecosystem services, including carbon storage and food availability to caribou in northern regions.

Uptake and translocation of both legacy and emerging per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in hydroponic vegetables.

The extensive use of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) and their substitutes has resulted in their frequent detections in environmental matrices. However, limited information is known about their uptake into vegetables and health risk through diet, particularly for those emerging alternatives. In this study, a total of 17 PFASs (namely 12 legacy PFASs and 5 of their alternatives) were compared for their accumulation into four staple vegetables (lettuce, Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum coronarium, and cucumber) in hydroponic system with single PFAS concentration being 10 µg/L, except for 8:2 chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonate (Cl-PFESA) as 0.5 µg/L. The sum concentrations of 17 PFASs in edible parts were in the order of Chinese cabbage leaf (13,456 ng/g) > lettuce leaf (5996 ng/g) > cucumber fruit (4115 ng/g) >chrysanthemum coronarium stem (3999 ng/g). For perfluorooctanoate acid (PFOA) and its alternatives, hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) preferentially accumulated in roots than PFOA with root concentration factors being 35.7-99.9. Translocation to edible parts was more remarkable for hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) compared with PFOA in lettuce and cucumber. For perfluorooctanesulfonate acid (PFOS) and its alternatives, roots of all the four vegetables were found to more readily accumulate 8:2 Cl-PFESA than PFOS, but 8:2 Cl-PFESA was hardly translocated to the aerial parts. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher edible concentrations of 8:2 and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acids (FTSA) than that of PFOS were observed for cucumber.

Inhalation of 4% and 67% hydrogen ameliorates oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and necroptosis in a rat model of glycerol-induced acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the major complication of rhabdomyolysis (RM) clinically, which is usually mimicked by glycerol injection in basic research. Oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis are recognized to play important roles in development of this disease. Recently, numerous studies have reported the therapeutic effects of molecular hydrogen (H2) on oxidative stress and inflammation-related diseases. Here, the effects of H2 against glycerol-induced AKI and the underlying mechanisms were explored in rats. Low (4%) and high (67%) concentrations of H2 were prepared using a self-made device to investigate the dose-response. After 72 hours of glycerol injection (8 mL/kg), we found that glycerol triggered oxidative stress, inflammatory reactions, and apoptotic events. These caused subsequent renal damage, evidenced by a significant reduction of antioxidases and up-regulation of the relevant damaged biomarkers. H2 inhalation reversed the above alterations and exerted renoprotective effects. Interestingly, for RM/AKI-related factors, no consistent dose-response benefits of H2 were observed. However, higher concentration of H2 inhalation improved histological and morphological changes better. This study suggests that H2 is a potential alternative therapy to prevent or minimize RM induced AKI possibly via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-necroptotic properties.