The influencing factors of hearing protection device usage among noise-exposed workers in Guangdong Province: a structural equation modeling-based survey.

BACKGROUND: There are numerous complex barriers and facilitators to continuously wearing hearing protection devices (HPDs) for noise-exposed workers. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between HPD wearing behavior and hearing protection knowledge and attitude, HPD wearing comfort, and work-related factors. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 524 noise-exposed workers in manufacturing enterprises in Guangdong Province, China. Data were collected on hearing protection knowledge and attitudes, HPD wearing comfort and behavior, and work-related factors through a questionnaire. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we tested the association among the study variables. RESULTS: Among the total workers, 69.47% wore HPD continuously, and the attitudes of hearing protection (26.17 ± 2.958) and total HPD wearing comfort (60.13 ± 8.924) were satisfactory, while hearing protection knowledge (3.54 ± 1.552) was not enough. SEM revealed that hearing protection knowledge had direct effects on attitudes (ß = 0.333, p < 0.01) and HPD wearing behavior (ß = 0.239, p < 0.01), and the direct effect of total HPD wearing comfort on behavior was ß = 0.157 (p < 0.01). The direct effect also existed between work shifts and behavior (ß=-0.107, p < 0.05). Indirect relationships mainly existed between other work-related factors, hearing protection attitudes, and HPD wearing behavior through knowledge. Meanwhile, work operation had a direct and negative effect on attitudes (ß=-0.146, p < 0.05), and it can also indirectly and positively affect attitudes through knowledge (ß = 0.08, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The behavior of wearing HPD was influenced by hearing protection knowledge, comfort in wearing HPD, and work-related factors. The results showed that to improve the compliance of noise-exposed workers wearing HPD continuously when exposed to noise, the HPD wearing comfort and work-related factors must be taken into consideration. In addition, we evaluated HPD wearing comfort in physical and functional dimensions, and this study initially verified the availability of the questionnaire scale of HPD wearing comfort.

Integrated LC-MS/MS method and network pharmacology for exploring the characterization and mechanism of neuroprotective effect of Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine polyphenol.

Polyphenols are the main active components in Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine, which show good protective effects on the nervous system, but their compositions in Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine and the molecular mechanism underlying their neuroprotection remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential mechanism of the neuroprotective effect of Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine polyphenols on the basis of the specific composition of polyphenols in Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine. In this study, 40 phenolic compounds which include 15 anthocyanins, 10 flavonoids, 10 phenolic acids, 3 proanthocyanidins and 2 resveratrols were identified by UPLC Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS. Furthermore, An UPLC-QqQ/MS method was established to simultaneously determine the phenolic compounds in Vitis amurensis Rupr. Wine, and analyze the content differences of phenolic compounds between Vitis amurensis Rupr. and Vitis vinifera wine. Finally, network pharmacology was employed for the first time to predict the possible pharmacological mechanisms of Vitis amurensis wine polyphenols against nervous damage. Multivariate network analysis indicated that quercetin, (-)-epigallocatechin and various anthocyanins were found as prominent compounds for the treatment of nervous system diseases. Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine polyphenols mainly acted on these key targets, including AKT1, EGFR, ESR1, and SRC, and further regulate the PI3K-AKT and Rap1 signaling pathway for treating nervous system diseases. Our findings suggested that polyphenols in Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine possess neuroprotective effect through multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Studies have revealed that Vitis amurensis Rupr. has higher levels of phenolic compounds than Vitis vinifera wine. However, due to the few and limited study of Vitis amurensis Rupr., their compositions in Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine and the molecular mechanism underlying their neuroprotection remains unclear. This research uses a holistic network pharmacology strategy to investigate the potential targets and pharmacological mechanisms of Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine polyphenols against nervous damage. To some things up, The finding elucidates the relationships between signaling pathways, targets, and compounds in Vitis amurensis Rupr. wine polyphenols, which may provide guidance and foundations for further application of medicinal food.

Effects of a continuous nursing care model on elderly patients with total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Continuous nursing care (CNC) is an extended service based on meeting the needs of discharged patients for post-discharge treatment and rehabilitation. This research aimed to investigate the effects of CNC on older patients with total hip arthroplasty and to offer a scientific basis for improving the prognosis. METHODS: A total of 134 patients with total hip arthroplasty were randomly divided into the control group (n = 67) and the intervention group (n = 67). The control group was treated by conventional nursing care and the intervention group was treated by CNC. Harris hip score, Barthel index, the activities of daily living (ADL) scale, self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) in these two groups were evaluated. Demographic characteristics between groups were analyzed by unpaired t test. The observation indexes between groups were assessed by two-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons test. RESULTS: The scores of Harris hip score, Barthel index, ADL, SDS and SAS in the intervention group after intervention and after follow-up were better than the intervention group before intervention (all p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the scores of Harris hip score, Barthel index, ADL, SDS and SAS in the intervention group were better than the control group both after intervention and after follow-up (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, CNC showed better efficacy than conventional nursing care in promoting hip joint function recovery, improving quality of life and alleviating anxiety and depression for older patients with total hip arthroplasty.

MicroRNA miR-155-5p knockdown attenuates Angiostrongylus cantonensis-induced eosinophilic meningitis by downregulating MMP9 and TSLP proteins.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection is a major cause of eosinophilic meningitis (EM). Severe cases or cases that involve infants and children present poor prognoses. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are important regulators of gene expression in many biological processes, were recently found to be regulators of the host response to infection by parasites; however, their roles in brain inflammation caused by A. cantonensis are still unclear. The current study confirmed that miR-155-5p peaked at 21 days after A. cantonensis infection, and its expression was positively correlated with the concentration of excretory and secretory products (ESPs). We found that miR-155-5p knockdown lentivirus successfully ameliorated brain injury and downregulated the expression of major basic protein (MBP) in vivo, and the number of eosinophils in CSF (and the percentage of eosinophils in peripheral blood were also decreased in the miR-155-5p knockdown group. Moreover, the expression of several eosinophilic inflammation cytokines such as CCL6/C10, ICAM-1, and MMP9, declined after the miR-155-5p knockdown. SOCS1 protein, which is an important negative regulator of inflammation activation, was identified as a direct miR-155-5p target. We further detected the effect of miR-155-5p knockdown on phosphorylated-STAT3 and phosphorylated-p65 proteins, which were found to be negatively regulated by SOCS1 and play an important role in regulating the inflammatory response. We found that miR-155-5p knockdown decreased the activity of p-STAT3 and p-p65, thereby leading to lower expression of MMP9 and TSLP proteins, which were closely related to the chemotaxis and infiltration of eosinophils. Interestingly, the inhibition of p-STAT3 or p-p65 was found to induce the downregulation of miR-155-5p in an opposite manner. These observations suggest that a positive feedback loop was formed between miR-155-5p, STAT3, and NF-κB in A. cantonensis infection and that miR-155-5p inhibition might provide a novel strategy to attenuate eosinophilic meningitis.

Circ-ELF2 Acts as a Competing Endogenous RNA to Facilitate Glioma Cell Proliferation and Aggressiveness by Targeting MiR-510-5p/MUC15 Signaling.

OBJECTIVE: Glioma (GM) is a common type of malignant and aggressive tumor in brain with poor prognosis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are well-known regulators in cancer progression. However, its molecular basis in GM remains to be investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CircRNA microarray was used to detect differentially expressed circRNAs in GM and matched noncancerous tissues. qRT-PCR was applied to detect the expression profile of circ-ELF2 in GM tissue specimens and cell lines. CCK-8, clone formation, AO/EB staining, flow cytometry, wound healing, and transwell assays were performed to identify the functions of circ-ELF2 in GM cells. The distribution of circ-ELF2 was analyzed by RNA-FISH and subcellular fractionation assay. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was applied to verify the predicted binding sites between miR-510-5p and circ-ELF2/MUC15 3'-UTR. Rescue assay was finally conducted to explore whether the oncogenic role of circ-ELF2 was partially attributed to miR-510-5p/MUC15 signaling. RESULTS: We observed that circ-ELF2 was significantly upregulated in GM tissues, which was analyzed by circRNA microarray and qRT-PCR. Upregulation of circ-ELF2 was associated with poor prognosis and high recurrence rate for GM patients after surgery. The collapse of circ-ELF2 caused growth arrest and downregulation of cell migratory and invasive potential of GM cells and promoted cell apoptosis. In contrast, elevated expression of circ-ELF2 led to the opposite effect. Mechanistically, circ-ELF2 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-510-5p to positive modulate MUC15 expression at posttranscriptional level. Circ-ELF2 upregulated MUC15 by sponging miR-510-5p, thus promoting GM growth and aggressiveness. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that circ-ELF2/miR-510-5p/MUC15 signaling plays a key role in promoting the occurrence and development of GM.

Pyrimethamine Elicits Antitumor Effects on Prostate Cancer by Inhibiting the p38-NF-κB Pathway.

Since incurable castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) inevitably develops following treatment with androgen deprivation therapy, there is an urgent need to devise new therapeutic strategies to treat this cancer. Pyrimethamine, an FDA-approved antimalarial drug, is known to exert an antitumor activity in various types of human cancer cells. However, whether pyrimethamine can inhibit prostate cancer is not well established. Hence, the present study aimed to characterize the mechanism of action of pyrimethamine on prostate cancer. We investigated the potential effect of pyrimethamine on cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis in metastatic DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells. We found that pyrimethamine inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest in the S phase, and promoted cell apoptosis of prostate cells in vitro; it also suppressed tumor growth in xenograft models. In addition, we observed that pyrimethamine suppressed prostate cancer growth by inhibiting the p38-NF-κB axis in vitro and in vivo. Thus, this study demonstrates that pyrimethamine is a novel p38 inhibitor that can exert antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in prostate cancer by affecting cell cycle and intrinsic apoptotic signaling, thereby providing a novel strategy for using pyrimethamine in CRPC treatment.

Transmitting characteristic analysis of antenna with off-axis parabolic rotating surfaces configuration.

A novel optical antenna with an off-axis confocal parabolic rotating surfaces configuration is designed for achieving maximum transmission efficiency. An improved 3-D ray tracing method based on the vector theory of reflection is used to simulate spatial rays transmitting through the antenna system. Aberrations and the spatial divergence angles of the output beam, which are caused by on-axial defocusing and off-axial defocusing between the primary reflector and secondary reflector, are visualized and effects on receiver efficiency of the antenna system are analyzed in detail. This work will provide a reference for improving the transmission efficiency of long-range communication systems.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy investigation on human breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Nanoparticles are potentially used for early cancer detection, accurate diagnosis, and cancer treatment. RESULTS: In this paper, the breast cancer cells treated with gold colloidal suspension were carefully studied by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra. Raman spectroscopy combining with high-resolution electron microscope is employed to investigate the interaction of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with the intracellular components. The TEM images show that the GNPs are taken into the living cells and enveloped into some vesicles named 'lick up vesicles' in the cytosol. CONCLUSIONS: The SERS spectra and SERS mapping of cells indicate that the major Raman bands are mostly assigned to the vibration characteristics of proteins, and the C-H in-plane bending mode of the substituted benzene in Phenylalanine is remarkably enhanced. Finally, the interaction mechanisms of the GNPs with the intracellular components are further discussed in detail.

[Raman spectra of monkey cerebral cortex tissue].

Monkey cerebral cortex, an important part in the brain to control action and thought activities, is mainly composed of grey matter and nerve cell. In the present paper, the in situ Raman spectra of the cerebral cortex of the birth, teenage and aged monkeys were achieved for the first time. The results show that the Raman spectra for the different age monkey cerebral cortex exhibit most obvious changes in the regions of 1000-1400 and 2800-3000 cm(-1). With monkey growing up, the relative intensities of the Raman bands at 1313 and 2885 cm(-1) mainly assigned to CH2 chain vibrational mode of lipid become stronger and stronger whereas the relative intensities of the Raman bands at 1338 and 2932 cm(-1) mainly assigned to CH3 chain vibrational mode of protein become weaker and weaker. In addition, the two new Raman bands at 1296 and 2850 cm(-1) are only observed in the aged monkey cerebral cortex, therefore, the two bands can be considered as a character or "marker" to differentiate the caducity degree with monkey growth In order to further explore the changes, the relative intensity ratios of the Raman band at 1313 cm(-1) to that at 1338 cm(-1) and the Raman band at 2885 cm(-1) to that at 2 932 cm(-1), I1313/I1338 and I2885/I2932, which are the lipid-to-protein ratios, are introduced to denote the degree of the lipid content. The results show that the relative intensity ratios increase significantly with monkey growth, namely, the lipid content in the cerebral cortex increases greatly with monkey growth. So, the authors can deduce that the overmuch lipid is an important cause to induce the caducity. Therefore, the results will be a powerful assistance and valuable parameter to study the order of life growth and diagnose diseases.

[Study on crystal chemistry and spectra of feldspar from Zhoukoudian granodiorite].

The chemical composition and spectra characteristic of feldspar from Zhoukoudian granodiorite were systematically analyzed. Based on the field work, some feldspar samples were selected for crystal chemistry and structure analysis through EMPA, IR, LRM and XRD. The compositions of the feldspar range between Ab (85.21) Or (0.18) An (9.11) and Ab (90.06) Or (3.00) An (13.27) by electronic microscope probe analysis. According to the XRD peak and its diffraction intensity, the mineral species was found the unit cell parameters were calculated. The absorption bands and peaks of infrared and Raman spectra were also assigned and the results show that the characteristics of its infrared and Raman spectra are in accordance with the ideal atlas of albite. The infrared spectra show that all the analyzed feldspar grains contain structural hydrogen, which occur as OH-. On the basis of the above analyses, the crystal chemistry and structure characteristics of feldspar were summarized.

Raman spectroscopic investigation on the interaction of malignant hepatocytes with doxorubicin.

Raman spectroscopy has proven to be a very powerful technique and is currently experiencing a renaissance. In this paper, it is used to explore the interaction between doxorubicin and malignant hepatocytes in vitro. For the addition of doxorubicin, the band intensity at 1609 cm-1, mainly assigned to C=C in-plane bending mode of phenylalanine and/or tyrosine residues, increases significantly, and the intensities of the bands at 1585 and 1313 cm-1, mainly due to the guanine bases, decrease greatly. In addition, Raman spectra are investigated at different doxorubicin concentrations, and the mean areas ratios of the band at 1450 to that at 1003 cm-1, A1450/A1003, fluctuate according to the doxorubicin concentration increasing, which suggests that doxorubicin affects the relative content of lipid in cells.

[Raman spectroscopic investigation on the interactions between liver Cancer cells (SMMC-7721) and fufang Luxiancao particles].

Luxiancao is a new medicine for liver cancer, and is purely natural botanical It has good curative effects and few side effects. The curative mechanism of Luxiancao is unknown. In the present paper, the authors used a 514. 5 nm laser to measure the changes in the Raman spectrum of liver cancer cells (SMMC-7721) treated by Luxiancao at different concentrations. The study can help us know more about the mechanism, efficiency and side effects of Luxiancao. The results show that significant changes were observed in the cells' Raman spectra after reacting with Luxiancao. The intensities at 785 and 1 092 cm(-1), corresponding to DNA phosphate backbone vibration, were reduced; and the Raman bands for the bases A and G at 1 312 and 1585 cm(-1) also decreased, indicating that Luxiancao may be inserted in DNA bases and influence the DNA replications, resulting in the reduction in DNA content and breaking of the DNA strands. Besides, the intensity of 1 360 cm(-1), belonging to Trp, decreased gradually and disappeared in the end, indicating the Trp of cancer cells began to be exposed when adding in Luxiancao. The bands at 1 004 cm(-1) for Phe and 1 656 cm(-1) for proteins alpha-helix also decreased, suggesting that there were changes in the structure of protein and circumstance of amino acid. Moreover, the effects on cancer cells were enhanced gradually with the HCPT concentration increasing. Since a Raman spectrum is a chemical fingerprint of a sample, the different concentration dependent changes in the Raman spectra of individual cells due to reacting with Luxiancao can overcome the limitations of other detection systems used for quantitative and qualitative analysis of the drug.

[Micro-Raman spectra for gastritis and gastric ulcer tissues].

Micro-Raman spectroscopy was employed to identify gastritis tissues and gastric ulcer tissues. The primary spectral differences between the two types of samples include, for gastric ulcer tissues, (1) the intensity of the peak at 781 cm(-1) ascribed to cytosine decreases, while the peaks ascribed to adenine and thymine respectively at 793 and 823 cm(-1) become stronger; (2) the bands of amide I and amide III at 1654 and 1320-1270 cm(-1) respectively, characteristic of alpha-helix structural protein, lose their intensities, and the tryptophan band at 1332 cm(-1) and phenylalanine band at 1003 cm(-1) reduced significantly, while the tryptophan marker at 1554 cm(-1) up shiftes to 1556 cm(-1) with increasing intensity; (3) a blue shift of 1073 cm(-1) line, the characteristic Raman band of lipid, and a reduction in the ratio of 1303 cm(-1) assigned to in-phase CH2 twisting motion to 1268 cm(-1) from =CH in-plane deformation were observed; (4) statistic analysis shows that the ratio of Raman intensities at bands 1449 cm(-1) originating from CH2 group to 1660 cm(-1) from amide I provides a promising standard to distinguish the two tissues.

HPLC-MS analysis of the riboflavin crude product of semisynthesis.

An accurate and simple analysis method by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for the riboflavin crude product of semisynthesis is established in this study. In this method, a C(18) column is used, and the mobile phase is methanol-water. Under the optimal analysis conditions established in this study, all components in the riboflavin crude product are well separated and identified, respectively. The external standard method is used for the quantitative analysis, and the results are proven to be accurate.

[Raman spectroscopic study of human serum albumin interacting with 3-picolylamine].

Raman spectra of human serum albumin (HSA) and HSA-3-picolylamine complex were obtained. The spectra indicate the configuration and structural transformations of HSA. The results show that the secondary structure is main alpha-helix, and the binding of 3-picolylamine doesn't change the secondary structure. However, the binding changes the configuration of disulfide bonds, transforms a single tryptophan residue from exposed tryptophan residues to hydrophobic environment, and alters the microenvironment of tyrosine.

Metal-ion interactions with sugars. Crystal structure and FT-IR study of PrCl3-D-ribose complex.

A single-crystal of PrCl3.D-ribose.5H2O was obtained from a methanol-water solution and its structure determined by X-ray crystallography. Two configurations of the complex, as a pair of isomers, were found in the single-crystal in a disordered state, which differs from that reported previously. The ligand of one of the complexes is alpha-D-ribopyranose in the 4C1 conformation, and the ligand of the other is beta-D-ribopyranose in the 1C4 conformation. The alpha:beta anomeric ratio is 54:46. Both ligands of the two isomers provide three hydroxyl groups in an axial-equatorial-axial orientation for coordination. The Pr3+ ion is nine-coordinated, with five Pr-O bonds from water molecules, three Pr-O bonds from the hydroxyl groups of the D-ribopyranose and one Pr-Cl bond from chloride ion. The hydroxyl groups, water molecules, and chloride ions form an extensive hydrogen-bond network. The IR spectral C-C, O-H, C-O, and C-O-H vibrations are shifted in the complex, compared to those in d-ribose, and the IR results are in accord with those obtained from the X-ray diffraction study.

Metal-ion interactions with carbohydrates. Crystal structure and FT-IR study of the SmCl3-ribose complex.

A single-crystal of SmCl3.C5H10O5.5H2O was obtained from methanol-water solution and its structure determined by X-ray. Two forms of the complex as a pair of anomers and related conformers were found in the single-crystal in a disordered state. One ligand is alpha-D-ribopyranose in the 4C1 conformation and the other one is beta-D-ribopyranose. The anomeric ratio is 1:1. Both ligands provide three hydroxyl groups in ax-eq-ax orientation for coordination. The Sm3+ ion is nine-coordinated with five Sm-O bonds from water molecules, three Sm-O bonds from hydroxyl groups of the D-ribopyranose and one Sm-Cl bond. The hydroxyl groups, water molecules and chloride ions form an extensive hydrogen-bond network. The IR spectral C-C, O-H, C-O, and C-O-H vibrations were observed to be shifted in the complex and the IR results are in accord with those of X-ray diffraction.

A new analysis method with GC or GC-MS for the quick detection of pesticide residues in vegetables.

A new analytical method for gas chromatography (GC) or GC-mass spectrometry (MS) using the direct sampling technique is described. This direct sampling technique, which bypasses the conventional complicated sample pretreatment process, is applicable to cases of fast detection of pesticide residues in foods and large-scale screening of samples by portable GC in field detection. By a direct sampling technique, the vegetable sample is ground into paste, and 30 mg is placed directly into the evaporating chamber for GC-MS identification and quantitation (by full-scan mode). The GC column used is an HP-5 (30.0-m x 250-microm x 0.25-microm, 5% phenyl methyl siloxane). Chlorpyrifos, bromophos, fenpropathrin, gamma-666, and pp'-DDT are chosen to represent organophosphorus, pyrethrins, and organochlorine pesticides because they are chief objects of the detection of pesticide residues in vegetables. Rape, a common and mass-consumed vegetable in China, is chosen as the sample in this study. The detection limits for these pesticides by the full-scan mode are all below the maximum pesticide residue limit of vegetables set by the Ministry of Agriculture of China, and the reproducibility of this method is acceptable. This analysis method is proven to be simple, quick, and reliable and is suitable for multipesticide residues analysis of vegetables. It can also be used in the analysis of vegetable components and signal chemicals.

Metal-ion interactions with sugars. The crystal structure and FTIR study of an SrCl2-fructose complex.

The single-crystal structure of SrCl2 x 2C6H12O6 x 3H2O was determined with Mr = 572.88, a = 16.252, b = 7.941(2), c = 10.751(3) angstroms, beta = 127.652(4) degrees, V = 1098.5(6) angstroms3, C2, Z = 2, mu = 0.71073 angstroms and R = 0.0296 for 1998 observed reflections. The fructose moiety of the complex exists as a beta-d-pyranose. The strontium atom is surrounded by eight oxygen atoms, which are arranged in symmetry-related pairs that are derived from four sugar and two water molecules. Three nonvicinal hydroxyl groups of fructose are involved in strontium binding. All the hydroxyl groups and water molecules are involved in forming an extensive hydrogen-bond network. The Sr-fructose complex is isostructural with the Ca-fructose complex, and the crystal structures and FTIR spectra of the two complexes are compared in this article. The O-H, C-O, and C-O-H vibrations are shifted, and the relative intensities changed in the complexes IR spectra, which indicate sugar metalation. By studying the metal-binding properties of fructose, it is hoped that such would aid in the understanding of the structural chemistry of metal ions interacting with saccharides, as an actual biological system, and thereby aid in the interpretation of some particular biological processes.