Impact of duck astrovirus on susceptibility to infection across duck ages.

An outbreak of duck astrovirus (DAstV) has occurred in duck farming regions of China, causing substantial economic setbacks in the duck industry. This investigation aimed to examine the variations in DAstV pathogenicity among ducks at different age intervals. Infections were induced in ducks at distinct age groups (1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d) utilizing the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain. The results indicate increased pathogenicity of the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain in ducklings aged 21 to 28 d, manifesting as liver and kidney enlargement, severe bleeding, and potential fatalities. Conversely, ducklings aged 1 and 14 d displayed milder symptoms postinfection. Notably, viral shedding continued in ducks of diverse age groups even 21 d postinfection (Dpi). Moreover, DAstV replicates in various tissues, predominantly affecting the liver. Immunohistochemical tests using rabbit anti-DAstV antibodies revealed robust positive signals in both the liver and kidneys, which correlated with the clinical symptom severity observed through macroscopic and microscopic examinations. Serum biochemical assays and indirect ELISA demonstrated a consistent response to DAstV infection across different age groups, with older ducklings exhibiting increased sensitivity. In conclusion, this study successfully replicated clinical symptoms similar to those of natural DAstV infection using the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain. Importantly, we systematically delineated the differences in susceptibility to DAstV among ducks at various ages, laying the foundation for further research into the pathogenic mechanisms of DAstV and potential vaccine development.

Direct interaction of platelet with tumor cell aggravates hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis by activating TLR4/ADAM10/CX3CL1 axis.

Metastasis is the main culprit of cancer-related death and account for the poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Although platelets have been shown to accelerate tumor cell metastasis, the exact mechanism remained to be fully understood. Here, we found that high blood platelet counts and increased tumor tissue ADAM10 expression indicated the poor prognosis of HCC patients. Meanwhile, blood platelet count has positive correlation with tumor tissue ADAM10 expression. In vitro, we revealed that platelet increased ADAM10 expression in tumor cell through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. ADAM10 catalyzed the shedding of CX3CL1 which bound to CX3CR1 receptor, followed by inducing epithelial to mesenchymal transition and activating RhoA signaling in cancer cells. Moreover, knockdown HCC cell TLR4 (Tlr4) or inhibition of ADAM10 prevented platelet-increased tumor cell migration, invasion and endothelial permeability. In vivo, we further verified in mice lung metastatic model that platelet accelerated tumor metastasis via cancer cell TLR4/ADAM10/CX3CL1 axis. Overall, our study provides new insights into the underlying mechanism of platelet-induced HCC metastasis. Therefore, targeting the TLR4/ADAM10/CX3CL1 axis in cancer cells hold promise for the inhibition of platelet-promoted lung metastasis of HCC.

Mussel and Cobweb Inspired High Areal Capacity SPAN Electrode.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) with superior energy density are among the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage techniques. Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) exhibits competitive advantages in terms of cycle stability, rate performance as well as cost. However, the preparation of high-loading SPAN electrodes is still challenging. Herein, inspired by mussel and cobweb, a high-loading SPAN electrode is enabled by the combination of polydopamine (PDA) coating and a bimodal distributed single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) slurry dispersed in polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), their synergistic effect not only constructs effective electron percolating networks within the electrode but also make high active material (AM) ratio possible. High areal capacity PDA@SPAN electrode (18.40 mAh cm-2 in the initial cycle) with negligible specific capacity attenuation as the mass loading increasement is realized through the facile slurry casting process. The dynamic N─H…O hydrogen bond is formed between PDA and PVP and the electrode integrity during charge/discharge is greatly strengthened. The battery with an areal AM loading of 7.16 mg cm-2 (5.16 mAh cm-2 ) retains 92.0% of capacity in 80 cycles and 87.18% in 160 cycles, and it also shows stable cycle performances even with a high loading of 19.79 mg cm-2 and lean electrolyte (3.28 µL mg-1 ).

Cut-off value of the eHEALS score as a measure of eHealth skills among rural residents in Gansu, China.

Background: In this study, our aim was to quantify eHealth literacy and determine a cut-off value for eHEALS scores that signifies adequate eHealth literacy among rural residents in Gansu, China. Methods: This cross-sectional investigation encompassed 18 rural areas across three cities-Lanzhou, Wuwei, and Dingxi-in Gansu. A total of 451 residents were recruited and underwent evaluations for both eHealth literacy and eHealth skills, utilizing the eHEALS and self-constructed tasks, respectively. A receiving operator characteristic curve was plotted with eHealth skills as the dependent variable and eHealth literacy levels as the independent variable, aiming to determine a cut-off value for eHEALS indicating adequate eHealth literacy and evaluate its predictive capacity. Results: Among the 451 respondents, 10.9% did not possess a personal electronic device with Internet access, while 6.4% owned but had never used them. Within the remaining 373 residents, the mean eHealth literacy score was 25.85 (SD:10.93), item scores ranged from 3.12 (SD:1.45) to 3.42 (SD:1.60). Completion rates for three eHealth skills varied from 39.1% to 59.8%. The cut-off value was 29.5 determined by the Youden index. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.829, with a sensitivity of 86.7%, and a specificity of 66.8%. Conclusions: Our findings emphasized that eHealth literacy among rural residents remains at a low level. Moreover, we identified a cut-off value of 29.5 for eHEALS scores that signifies adequate eHealth literacy within this demographic.

Role of activating the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway in the development of septic cardiomyopathy in rats with sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in the treatment of sepsis over time, this condition remains both a serious threat and a cause of death among critical patients. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the role of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in the development of septic cardiomyopathy in rats with sepsis. METHOD: A total of 32 Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into a sham operation group and three groups with sepsis, which were tested at one of the following time-points: 3, 6, or 12 h. Each group included eight rats. Sepsis models were created via cecal ligation and puncture procedures. All the study rats had the following cardiac parameters and serum levels measured at either 3, 6, or 12 h after the operation (according to their assigned group): heart rate, left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), maximum rate of left ventricular pressure rise (+dP/dtmax) and fall (-dP/dtmax), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI). The myocardium of the left ventricle was collected and subjected to hematoxylin and eosin staining to observe the changes in pathological morphology. The expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and NF-κB in the myocardium were detected by western blot analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the sham operation group, the rats in the sepsis subgroups exhibited significantly lower values for all the cardiac parameters measured, including the heart rate (sham operation group = 386.63 ± 18.62 beats per minute [bpm], sepsis 3-h group = 368.38 ± 12.55 bpm, sepsis 6-h group = 341.75 ± 17.05 bpm, sepsis 12-h group = 302.13 ± 21.15 bpm), LVSP (sham operation group = 125.50 ± 11.45 mmHg, sepsis 3-h group = 110.88 ± 7.51 mmHg, sepsis 6-h group = 100.00 ± 15.06 mmHg, sepsis 12-h group = 91.38 ± 14.73 mmHg), +dp/dtmax (sham operation group = 7137.50 ± 276.44 mm Hg/sec, sepsis 3-h group = 5745.00 ± 346.16 mm Hg/sec, sepsis 6-h group = 4360.00 ± 312.04 mm Hg/sec, sepsis 12-h group = 2871.25 ± 443.99 mm Hg/sec), and -dp/dtmax (sham operation group = 6363.75 ± 123.86 mm Hg/sec, sepsis 3-h group = 6018.75 ± 173.49 mm Hg/sec, sepsis 6-h group = 5350.00 ± 337.89 mm Hg/sec, sepsis 12-h group = 4085.00 ± 326.76 mm Hg/sec). They also displayed significantly higher levels of serum cytokines, including TNF-α (sham operation group = 14.72 ± 2.90 pg/mL, sepsis 3-h group = 34.90 ± 4.79 pg/mL, sepsis 6-h group = 24.91 ± 2.57 pg/mL, sepsis 12-h group 22.06 ± 3.11 pg/mL), IL-1ß (sham operation group = 42.25 ± 16.91, 3-h group = 112.25 ± 13.77, sepsis 6-h group = 207.90 ± 22.64, sepsis 12-h group = 157.18 ± 23.06), IL-6 (sham operation group = 39.89 ± 5.74, sepsis 3-h group = 78.27 ± 9.31, sepsis 6-h group = 123.75 ± 13.11, sepsis 12-h group = 93.21 ± 8.96), and cTnI (sham operation group = 0.07 ± 0.03 ng/mL, sepsis 3-h group = 0.18 ± 0.06 ng/mL, sepsis 6-h group = 0.67 ± 0.19 ng/mL, sepsis = 12-h group 1.28 ± 0.10 ng/mL). The rats in the sepsis groups exhibited pathological changes in the myocardium, which deteriorated gradually over time. The animals in all the sepsis groups exhibited significantly higher levels of TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression compared with the sham group. The TLR4 protein expressions were 0.376 in the sham operation group, 0.534 in the sepsis 3-h group, 0.551 in the sepsis 6-h group, and 0.719 in the sepsis 12-h group. The NF-κB protein expressions were 0.299 in the sham operation group, 0.488 in the sepsis 3-h group, 0.516 in the sepsis 6-h group, and 0.636 in the sepsis 12-h group. CONCLUSION: Sepsis can lead to myocardial injury and cardiac dysfunction. This may be related to the activation of the NF-κB intracellular signal transduction pathway and the release of inflammatory factors as a result of lipopolysaccharides acting on TLR4 during the onset of sepsis.

Evaluative Skill in the Creative Process: A Cross-cultural Study.

Evaluative skill is the ability to accurately judge ideas on creativity (or originality), which is a critical component of creativity. Various aspects of creativity have been examined cross-culturally, but little research has focused on evaluative skill. The first goal of this study was to examine the measurement invariance of evaluative skill assessments, which were based on two types of divergent thinking tests (Line Meanings and Uses), between American (n = 341) and Chinese (n = 345) college students. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor model based on two types of evaluation tasks, and this model satisfied configural and weak invariance. However, partial strong invariance was satisfied only for the Uses evaluation task. Based on this evidence, our second goal was to explore the differences in evaluative skill between these two groups. Via latent mean comparisons, we found that American participants had better performance on evaluative skill based on the Uses evaluation task than their Chinese counterparts. Taken together, this study is one of the first to examine the cross-cultural differences in evaluative skill between American and Chinese adults. This study offered preliminary results showing some invariance in evaluative skill assessments across cultures and indicating cross-cultural differences in this ability.

Causal Inference of Central Nervous System-Regulated Hormones in COVID-19: A Bidirectional Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

We assessed the causal association of three COVID-19 phenotypes with insulin-like growth factor 1, estrogen, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone. We used bidirectional two-sample univariate and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to evaluate the direction, specificity, and causality of the association between CNS-regulated hormones and COVID-19 phenotypes. Genetic instruments for CNS-regulated hormones were selected from the largest publicly available genome-wide association studies of the European population. Summary-level data on COVID-19 severity, hospitalization, and susceptibility were obtained from the COVID-19 host genetic initiative. DHEA was associated with increased risks of very severe respiratory syndrome (odds ratio [OR] = 4.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41-12.59), consistent with multivariate MR results (OR = 3.72, 95% CI: 1.20-11.51), and hospitalization (OR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.13-4.72) in univariate MR. LH was associated with very severe respiratory syndrome (OR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71-0.96) in univariate MR. Estrogen was negatively associated with very severe respiratory syndrome (OR = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02-0.51), hospitalization (OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.08-0.78), and susceptibility (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.28-0.89) in multivariate MR. We found strong evidence for the causal relationship of DHEA, LH, and estrogen with COVID-19 phenotypes.

The Na+/H+ antiporter GbSOS1 interacts with SIP5 and regulates salt tolerance in Gossypium barbadense.

Cotton is a globally cultivated economic crop and is a major source of natural fiber and edible oil. However, cotton production is severely affected by salt stress. Although Salt Overly Sensitive 1 (SOS1) is a well-studied Na+/H+ antiporter in multiple plant species, little is known about its function and regulatory mechanism in cotton. Here, we cloned a salt-induced SOS1 from sea-island cotton. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that GbSOS1 was induced by multiple stresses and phytohormones. Silencing GbSOS1 through virus-induced gene silencing significantly reduced cotton resistance to high Na+ but mildly affected Li+ tolerance. On the other hand, overexpression of GbSOS1 enhanced salt tolerance in yeast, Arabidopsis, and cotton largely due to the ability to maintain Na+ homeostasis in protoplasts. Yeast-two-hybrid assays and bimolecular fluorescence complementation identified a novel protein interacting with GbSOS1 on the plasma membrane, which we named SOS Interaction Protein 5 (SIP5). We found that the SIP5 gene encoded an unknown protein localized on the cell membrane. Silencing SIP5 significantly increased cotton tolerance to salt, exhibited by less wilting and plant death under salt stress. Our results revealed that GbSOS1 is crucial for cotton survival in saline soil, and SIP5 is a potentially negative regulator of SOS1-mediated salt tolerance in cotton. Overall, this study provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the molecular mechanism of SOS1, and a candidate gene for breeding salt-tolerant crops.

Intimate Partner Violence and Willingness to Use Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Chengdu, China.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common in men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM also face increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection. However, it is not known whether IPV experience of MSM in China would affect their attitudes toward pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use. A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the associations between different types of IPV and willingness to use PrEP in a sample of 608 MSM from November 2018 to May 2019 in Chengdu, China. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the associations between different types of IPV and willingness to use PrEP. The average age of the participants was 31.8 ± 12.3 years, 48.9% of them were aware of PrEP before this study, and only 7.2% were aware of long-acting injectable PrEP (LAI-PrEP). The overall willingness to use any type of PrEP in the next 6 months was 82.2%. Approximately one third of the participants (n = 198) had experienced at least one type of IPV. We found that experience of sexual perpetration was negatively associated with the willingness to use on-demand PrEP (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.16-0.67) and the overall willingness to use any type of PrEP (ORa = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.15-0.64). The willingness to use LAI-PrEP also had negative associations with any type of monitoring IPV (ORa = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.38-0.91), controlling victimization (ORa = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.21-0.82), and emotional victimization (ORa = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.35-0.97). The findings of this study demonstrate that IPV experiences are negatively associated with willingness to use PrEP among MSM, suggesting that PrEP promotion programs should consider IPV screening and develop explicit intervention strategies for both perpetrators and victims.

Associations between maternal parenting styles and preschool children s quality of life in Chengdu / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the association between maternal parenting styles and quality of life among preschools，to provide a scientific theoretical basis for interventions targeting at prmoting early life health.@*Methods@#From May to July, 2021, a stratified cluster sampling method was used to enroll 4 233 child mother dyads from 14 preschools in Chengdu. An online questionnaire survey was administered to collect socio demographic information, maternal parenting styles, and children s quality of life.@*Results@#The overall score of quality of life was (80.17±9.81) among preschool children in Chengdu. In the multivariate linear regression models, maternal emotional warmth were significantly associated with higher scores in emotional functioning, social functioning, school functioning, psychosocial health summary score, and total scores ( β coefficients in the high level group were 2.63 , 4.95 , 12.05, 6.54,4.88, P <0.05). In contrast, both maternal rejection and overprotection were significantly associated with lower scores in physical functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, school functioning, psychosocial health summary score, and the total scores of children s quality of life (for rejection: β coefficients in the high level group were -9.39, -10.82, -7.12 , -6.04 , -8.00, and -8.35 , respectively; for overprotection: β coefficients in the high level group were -6.71, -5.85, -3.08 , -2.39 , -3.77, and - 4.51 , respectively， P <0.05). The associations between high level of maternal rejection and children s emotional functioning showed significant gender differences( β =-3.23, P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Maternal parenting style has a significant impact on children s quality of life. Interventions targeting at maternal parenting styles may be beneficial to improve the quality of life in preschool children.

The Economic Burden of Hospital Costs on Families With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Children: The Role of Medical Insurance in Shandong Province, China.

Objective: This study estimates the economic burden imposed on families by comparing the hospitalization costs of T1DM children with and without medical insurance in Shandong province. Methods: Our data comprised 1,348 T1DM inpatient records of patients aged 18 years or younger from the hospitalization information system of 297 general hospitals in 6 urban districts of Shandong Province. Descriptive statistics are presented and regression analyses were conducted to explore the factors associated with hospitalization costs. Results: Children with medical insurance had on average total hospitalization expenditures of RMB5,833.48 (US$824.02) and a hospitalization stay of 7.49 days, compared with the children without medical insurance who had lower hospitalization expenditures of RMB4,021.45 (US$568.06) and an average stay of 6.05 days. Out-of-pocket expenses for insured children were RMB3,036.22 (US$428.89), which is significantly lower than that of the uninsured children (P < 0.01). Out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures accounted for 6% of the annual household income of insured middle-income families, but rose to a significant 25% of the annual income for low-income families. These OOP expenditures imposed a heavy economic burden on families, with some families experiencing long-term financial distress. Both insured and uninsured families, especially low-income families, could be tipped into poverty by hospitalization costs. Conclusion: Hospitalization costs imposed a significant economic burden on families with children with T1DM, especially low-income insured and uninsured families. The significantly higher hospitalization expenses of insured T1DM children, such as longer hospitalization stays, more expensive treatments and more drugs, may reflect both excess treatment demands by parents and over-servicing by hospitals; lower OOP expenses for uninsured children may reflect uninsured children from low-income families forgoing appropriate medical treatment. Hospital insurance reform is recommended.

Platelet-Derived TGF (Transforming Growth Factor)-ß1 Enhances the Aerobic Glycolysis of Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells by PKM2 (Pyruvate Kinase Muscle Isoform 2) Upregulation.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Platelet activation has been implicated in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), whereas the role of platelet in the pathogenesis of PAH remains unclear. METHODS: First, we explored the platelet function of semaxanib' a inhibitor of VEGF receptor (SU5416)/hypoxia mice and monocrotaline-injected rats PAH model. Then we investigated pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell aerobic glycolysis after being treated with platelet supernatant. TGF (transforming growth factor)-ßRI, pyruvate kinase muscle 2, and other antagonists were applied to identify the underlying mechanism. In addition, platelet-specific deletion TGF-ß1 mice were exposed to chronic hypoxia and SU5416. Cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, vascular remodeling, and aerobic glycolysis of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell were determined. RESULTS: Here, we demonstrate that platelet-released TGF-ß1 enhances the aerobic glycolysis of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells after platelet activation via increasing pyruvate kinase muscle 2 expression. Mechanistically, platelet-derived TGF-ß1 regulate spyruvate kinase muscle 2 expression through mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)/c-Myc/PTBP-1(polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1)/hnRNPA-1(heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1) pathway. Platelet TGF-ß1 deficiency mice are significantly protected from SU5416 plus chronic hypoxia-induced PAH, including attenuated increases in right ventricular systolic pressure and less pulmonary vascular remodeling. Also, in Pf4cre+ Tgfb1fl/fl mice, pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells showed lower glycolysis capacity and their pyruvate kinase muscle 2 expression decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that TGF-ß1 released by platelet contributes to the pathogenesis of PAH and further highlights the role of platelet in PAH.

CO2 emissions, income inequality, and country risk: some international evidence.

This research explores the effects of income inequality and country risk on CO2 emissions and examines whether the effects change across countries with different development stages or income levels. A new panel quantile regression approach is used to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of affecting factors on CO2 emissions at various quantiles, while addressing econometric challenges such as endogeneity and heterogeneity. From a global perspective, we can conclude that the marginal impact of inequality on emissions drops constantly with decreasing country risk at 10th to 50th quantiles, which even performs negative, whereas at the other quantiles, the marginal impact of inequality always remains negative. When we focus on the different income groups, the nexus of inequality emissions is negative first and then positive with decrease of country risk in low-income countries but shows no significant in low-middle- and upper-middle-income countries. Additionally, we validate the detrimental impact of income inequality in upper-income countries. Besides, country risk adversely moderates the nexus of inequality and emissions in low- and upper-income countries. Empirical results confirm that the nexus of inequality emissions lies in country risk, income level, and existing emission degree. These findings provide some important recommendations for policy-makers.

Bidirectional associations between parenting styles and conduct problems in Chinese preschool children: the Shenzhen Longhua Child Cohort Study.

The bidirectional associations between parenting styles and conduct problems in Chinese children attending preschools were rarely discussed. A study covering 171 preschools in Longhua District of Shenzhen, China was conducted among children when they first attended preschools. Parents of children reported the self-perceived parenting styles and their children's conduct problems using validated questionnaires. The bidirectional associations between parenting styles and conduct problems in children were assessed using multivariate linear or logistic regressions in both cross-sectional and cohort settings. In cross-sectional settings, the bidirectional associations were present in all dimensions of parenting styles with children's conduct problems. After 1.01 years of follow-up, increases in parenting dimensions of rejection, control attempts, and favoring subject were significantly associated with children's conduct problems at follow-up, while increases in emotional warmth of parents significantly reduced such risk. In addition, parents of children who had conduct problems at baseline but regressed to normal at follow-up showed decreased scores in negative parenting dimensions. In contrast, among children who developed conduct problems during the study period, the scores of rejection and favoring subject in their parents have increased significantly, while the scores of emotional warmth have decreased. Parent-to-child effect was similar between fathers and mothers, while child-to-parent effect was stronger in fathers than that in mothers. In order to stop the negative feedback loop between poor parenting styles and children's conduct problems, our study underscored the importance of intervention not only in parents but also in their children.

The essential role of long non-coding RNA GAS5 in glioma: interaction with microRNAs, chemosensitivity and potential as a biomarker.

Glioma is a malignant brain tumor with a generally poor prognosis. Dysregulation of a long non-coding RNA, GAS5, has been detected in numerous cancers, including glioma. Previous studies have suggested that GAS5 plays a significant functional role in glioma, affecting proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and apoptosis. In this review, we describe the roles and mechanisms of GAS5 in glioma. GAS5 may be a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis, and even a potential target for glioma treatment, and therefore warrants further investigation.

Two dimensional spacial soliton in atomic gases with PT-symmetry potential.

We propose a realistic physical scheme to realize linear Gaussian optical potential with parity-time (PT) symmetry and two dimensional (2D) spacial solitons in a coherent atomic gas. It is shown that the PT-symmetric potential can be created through the spatial modulation of the control and relevant atomic parameters. We find that the Gaussian PT potential parameters, the imaginary part and the width and the position, play crucial roles in the occurrence of the PT phase transition. We demonstrate that the system supports stable 2D dipole solitons and vortex solitons, which can be managed via tuning PT potential. Furthermore, the dynamic characteristics of the symmetric scatter and collision of solitons are shown.

miRNA-10a-5p Alleviates Insulin Resistance and Maintains Diurnal Patterns of Triglycerides and Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

miRNA-10a is rhythmically expressed and regulates genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. However, the effects of miRNA-10a on obesity and glucose intolerance, as well as on the diurnal pattern of expression of circadian clock genes, remain unknown. We explored the effects of miRNA-10a-5p on insulin resistance and on the diurnal patterns of serum triglycerides and gut microbiota in high-fat diet- (HFD-) fed mice. The results showed that oral administration of miRNA-10a-5p significantly prevented body weight gain and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in HFD-fed mice. Administration of miRNA-10a-5p also maintained the diurnal rhythm of Clock, Per2, and Cry1 expression, as well as serum glucose and triglyceride levels. Surprisingly, the diurnal oscillations of three genera of microbes, Oscillospira, Ruminococcus, and Lachnospiraceae, disrupted by HFD feeding, maintained by administration of miRNA-10a-5p. Moreover, a strong positive correlation was found between hepatic Clock expression and relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae, both in control mice (r = 0.877) and in mice administered miRNA-10a-5p (r = 0.853). Furthermore, we found that along with changes in Lachnospiraceae abundance, butyrate content in the feces maintained a diurnal rhythm after miRNA-10a-5p administration in HFD-fed mice. In conclusion, we suggest that miRNA-10a-5p may improve HFD-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance through the modulation of the diurnal rhythm of Lachnospiraceae and its metabolite butyrate. Therefore, miRNA-10a-5p may have preventative properties in subjects with metabolic disorders.

Neighborhood greenness associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A nationwide cross-sectional study in China.

Differential findings have been reported on the association between neighborhood greenness and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The underlying reasons might be the different types of vegetation and the diagnosis methods used in different studies. In this nationwide cross-sectional study in China, we examined the linkage between neighborhood greenness and COPD prevalence among 66,752 adults aged 40 years and above. Neighborhood greenness was estimated using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based on satellite imagery within buffers of 100, 300, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 5000 m of residential community of the participants. COPD was defined according to the 2017 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease lung function criteria. A two-level logistic regression model was applied to estimate the associations. Finally, 9134 adults were classified as COPD. We observed significant positive associations between neighborhood greenness and COPD prevalence. The odds ratio for each interquartile range increase in NDVI within 100 m buffer was 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.15) after adjustment for potential confounders. Consistent associations were observed across all other NDVI buffer sizes. Stratified analyses revealed that younger adults (40-65 years) and urban residents might be the vulnerable subpopulations. Further regional analyses found that residents from the Northeastern and Northern China were more likely to have this association. Our results indicated that neighborhood greenness might be one risk factor of COPD prevalence. Our study have important public health implications for allocating the surrounding green spaces among living areas, especially for those with respiratory illness; however, the findings and the underlying mechanisms warrant further examinations in longitudinal settings.

Abnormal polarization of macrophage-like cells in the peripheral blood of patients with glioma.

Glioma is a type of malignant tumor arising from glial cells of the brain or the spine. Circulation-derived macrophage infiltration is a characteristic of the glioma microenvironment. The polarization status of circulation-derived macrophages in patients with glioma remains unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the polarization status of circulation-derived macrophages in patients with glioma. A total of 40 patients with glioma and 38 healthy volunteers were recruited. The polarization status of macrophage-like cells in the peripheral blood of patients with glioma was evaluated. In addition, the associations between the polarization status of macrophage-like cells and glioma stage or the expression levels of the glioma tumor marker chitinase-3-like protein 1 (also termed YKL-40) were evaluated. The number of macrophage-like cells (CD115+CD1c-CD2-CD15-CD19-CD14+CD16+CD11b+) was higher in the peripheral blood of patients with glioma compared with that of healthy volunteers. There were fewer M1 macrophage-like cells, and more M2 macrophage-like cells were induced in the peripheral blood of patients with glioma compared with healthy controls. Specifically, the number of M2a/M2b macrophage-like cells increased, whereas that of M2c macrophage-like cells decreased in the peripheral blood of patients with glioma compared with healthy controls. The polarization status of macrophage-like cells in patients with glioma was not significantly associated with glioma stage or with the glioma marker YKL-40. Overall, the results of the present study revealed that the polarization status of macrophage-like cells in the peripheral blood of patients with glioma was abnormal, offering potential novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets, such as different macrophage subsets, for glioma.

Synovial Macrophages in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Past, Present, and Future.

The ontogeny of macrophages in most organs has already been established. Owing to the limited number and inaccessibility of synovial macrophages (SMs), the origin of SMs has not been fully elucidated. Previous studies suggested that SMs have two major origins, namely, tissue-resident and monocyte-derived SMs. However, no systematic analysis to identify SM ontology in either physiological or pathological conditions has been available to date. In this review, we summarize relevant studies on the two main origins of SMs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and forecast the future research directions for this field. Furthermore, we discuss the current state of RA therapy that is based on targeting different SM subsets.