The Impact of Virtual Reality Training Combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Preservation Therapy on Cognitive Function, Neurological Function, and Physical Function of Stroke Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of virtual reality training combined with traditional Chinese medicine health preservation therapy on cognitive function, neurological function, and physical function of stroke patients. METHODS: The patients were randomly divided into an experimental group (receiving virtual reality training combined with traditional Chinese medicine health preservation therapy) and a control group (receiving conventional rehabilitation treatment combined with traditional Chinese medicine health preservation therapy). A series of cognitive, neurological, and physical function assessments were conducted to collect and analyze data from both groups before treatment, after treatment, and during follow-up. The application of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation concepts was also explored. RESULTS: After treatment, the experimental group had significantly higher scores in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) compared to the control group. The overall effective rate of neurological function in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scores for upper limb function in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The degree of improvement in the Modified Barthel Index scores after treatment was significantly better in the experimental group compared to the control group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that virtual reality training combined with traditional Chinese medicine health preservation therapy significantly improves cognitive function, neurological function, and physical function in stroke patients. This approach provides new insights and methods for stroke rehabilitation therapy and is worthy of promotion.

Controllable Pseudoelasticity in Metallic Nanocrystals by Grain Boundary Engineering.

Materials with pseudoelasticity can recover from large strains exceeding their elastic limits during unloading, making them promising damage-tolerant building blocks for advanced nanodevices. Nevertheless, a practical approach to realize controllable pseudoelastic behavior at nanoscale remains challenging. Here, we proposed a grain boundary (GB) engineering approach to endow metallic nanocrystals with a controllable pseudoelasticity. Both in situ nanomechanical testing and atomistic simulations demonstrate that such controllable pseudoelasticity is governed by the extension and contraction of an inherent stacking fault array at the GB. By precisely tuning GB misorientation and inclination, our simulation results reveal that metallic nanocrystals can exhibit tailored pseudoelastic performance across a broad spectrum of GBs in different face-centered cubic metals. These findings enrich our understanding of the intrinsic pseudoelasticity of GBs and provide a GB engineering approach toward metallic materials with reversible deformability.

Is metaphyseal ulnar shortening osteotomy superior to diaphyseal ulnar shortening osteotomy in the treatment of ulnar impaction syndrome? A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although metaphyseal ulnar shortening osteotomy (MUSO) is safer for the treatment of ulnar impaction syndrome (UIS) than diaphyseal ulnar shortening osteotomy (DUSO), DUSO is widely used for UIS treatment. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of DUSO and MUSO for UIS treatment and determine the factors that should be considered when choosing surgical treatment for UIS. METHODS: Articles comparing the effectiveness of DUSO and MUSO for UIS treatment were systematically retrieved from MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. The demography, incidence of complications, secondary operation rate, postoperative DASH score, wrist pain on the visual analogue scale, and grip strength improvement were also evaluated. In addition, the correlation between the improvement of grip strength and the shortening of osteotomy length of ulna was analyzed. The outcome of the patient was discontinuous, and the odds ratio, risk ratio (RR), and 95%CI were calculated and analyzed via RevMan5.3 software. RESULTS: Six studies, including 83 patients receiving MUSO (experimental group) and 112 patients receiving DUSO (control group), were included in the meta-analysis. The second operation rate was significantly higher after DUSO than after MUSO. The DASH scores were slightly lower in the MUSO group than in the DUSO group. The patients receiving MUSO had slightly better pain relief effect than patients receiving DUSO. However, the incidence of complications and improvement of grip strength were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Although DUSO and MUSO provide similar effects for UIS, MUSO is associated with a lower secondary operation rate, slightly lower postoperative DASH scores and slightly better pain relief effect than DUSO, indicating that MUSO can effectively be used for UIS treatment.

Effects of exercise and diet intervention on appetite-regulating hormones associated with miRNAs in obese children.

AIMS: This study investigated the effects of exercise and diet intervention on appetite-regulating hormones and subjective appetite changes in obese children and examined expressions of specific key microRNAs (miRNA, miR). METHODS: 16 obese children were included in a training program consisting of exercise and diet intervention for 6 weeks. Before and after the intervention, fasting blood was collected to determine appetite-regulating hormones (leptin, ghrelin, and orexin) and miRNA (miR-103a-3p and miR-200a-3p) levels; eating behavior of the children was reported using the Children Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). RESULTS: The level of orexin was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while ghrelin was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) after 6 weeks. The scores of food responsiveness (FR) and enjoyment of food (EF) of the CEBQ were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) after intervention. The changes of leptin and that of SR were significantly correlated (r = - 0.455, P < 0.05), and the correlation between the alterations of orexin and that of EF was moderate with significance (r = 0.625, P < 0.05). miR-103a-3p expression was not statistically changed, while miR-200a-3p was significantly inhibited after 6-week intervention (P < 0.05). The correlation between relative changes of miR-103a-3p and that of leptin and orexin were both with significant difference (r = 0.413, P < 0.05; r = 0.409, P < 0.05), whereas the alterations of miR-200a-3p were not correlative with hormones or appetite sensation. CONCLUSION: Exercise combined with diet intervention for 6 weeks was effective in regulating appetite sensations and hormones in obese children, and miR-103a-3p and miR-200a-3p might provide a foundation for target biomarkers of appetite trait in modulating the energy balance control by exercise and dietary intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case-control analytic study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03762629).

Six-Week Exercise Training With Dietary Restriction Improves Central Hemodynamics Associated With Altered Gut Microbiota in Adolescents With Obesity.

Purpose: Obesity in children and in adolescents can lead to adult cardiovascular diseases, and the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in obesity pathophysiology. Exercise and diet interventions are typical approaches to improve physical condition and to alter the gut microbiota in individuals with obesity. However, whether central hemodynamic parameters including subendocardial viability ratio, the augmentation index standardized to a heart rate of 75/min (AIx75), resting heart rate, and blood pressure, correlate with gut microbiota changes associated with exercise and diet is unclear. Methods: Adolescents (n = 24, 12.88 ± 0.41 years) with obesity completed our 6-week program of endurance and strength exercises along with dietary restriction. Blood and fecal samples were collected, and physical parameters were measured before and 24 h after the last session of the intervention program. Pulse wave analysis using applanation tonometry provided the subendocardial viability ratio, a surrogate measure of microvascular myocardial perfusion, and AIx75, a measure of arterial stiffness and peripheral arteriolar resistance. Correlation analysis detected any associations of anthropometric or central hemodynamic parameters with gut microbiome composition. Results: Exercise and diet interventions significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, body fat, and waist-to-hip ratio, and lowered levels of fasting blood glucose, serum triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. AIx75 and resting heart rate were also significantly reduced after the intervention without changes to systolic or diastolic blood pressure. The ratio of intestinal microbiota Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes displayed a marked increase after intervention. Interventional changes in gut microbiota members were significantly associated with anthropometric and metabolic parameters. Microbial changes were also significantly correlated with central hemodynamic parameters, including subendocardial viability ratio, AIx75, and resting heart rate. Conclusion: Exercise and diet interventions significantly improved measures of central hemodynamics, including subendocardial viability ratio, AIx75, and resting heart rate, which were correlated with altered gut microbiota in adolescents with obesity. Our findings shed light on the effects and mechanisms underlying exercise and diet interventions on obesity and suggest this approach for treating patients with both cardiovascular disease and obesity.

Effect of a Combined Exercise and Dietary Intervention on Self-Control in Obese Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether a combined exercise and dietary intervention improved cognitive and physical self-control and whether pre-to-post interventional changes in self-control were mediated by changes in body mass index (BMI) and maximal grip strength (MGS), in a sample of obese adolescents. METHODS: Forty-four obese adolescents were randomly assigned to a combined exercise and dietary program or to a waitlist control group; the data from 36 participants (n = 18 for each group) were analyzed. The combined exercise and dietary program was performed over 6 weeks and was supervised by qualified trainers in a closed boot camp. The exercise consisted primarily of typical aerobic training, sports, outdoor training, yoga, and resistance training. Participants were placed on moderate dietary restriction according to individual target body weight (30 kcal/kg × target weight). The primary outcomes of this study were metrics based on cognitive and physical self-control, assessed by the Stroop task and a handgrip task, respectively. Secondary outcomes included BMI and MGS. RESULTS: The combined exercise and dietary intervention significantly improved both cognitive and physical self-control. Similar positive effects were also found for reduced BMI and enhanced MGS. Correlation analyses showed that the reduced BMI and enhanced MGS were significantly closely associated with improved cognitive and physical self-control. The mediation analyses revealed that the pre-to-post intervention changes in BMI and MGS significantly mediated physical self-control, but did not mediate cognitive self-control. CONCLUSION: Our combined exercise and dietary intervention is an effective approach to improve multiple aspects of self-control, reduce BMI, and strengthen MGS among obese adolescents. These findings also suggest that reduced BMI and enhanced MGS mediate specific aspects of self-control.

Genome Sequencing Reveals the Potential of Achromobacter sp. HZ01 for Bioremediation.

Petroleum pollution is a severe environmental issue. Comprehensively revealing the genetic backgrounds of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms contributes to developing effective methods for bioremediation of crude oil-polluted environments. Marine bacterium Achromobacter sp. HZ01 is capable of degrading hydrocarbons and producing biosurfactants. In this study, the draft genome (5.5 Mbp) of strain HZ01 has been obtained by Illumina sequencing, containing 5,162 predicted genes. Genome annotation shows that "amino acid metabolism" is the most abundant metabolic pathway. Strain HZ01 is not capable of using some common carbohydrates as the sole carbon sources, which is due to that it contains few genes associated with carbohydrate transport and lacks some important enzymes related to glycometabolism. It contains abundant proteins directly related to petroleum hydrocarbon degradation. AlkB hydroxylase and its homologs were not identified. It harbors a complete enzyme system of terminal oxidation pathway for n-alkane degradation, which may be initiated by cytochrome P450. The enzymes involved in the catechol pathway are relatively complete for the degradation of aromatic compounds. This bacterium lacks several essential enzymes for methane oxidation, and Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase involved in the subterminal oxidation pathway and cycloalkane degradation was not identified. These results suggest that strain HZ01 degrades n-alkanes via the terminal oxidation pathway, degrades aromatic compounds primarily via the catechol pathway and cannot perform methane oxidation or cycloalkane degradation. Additionally, strain HZ01 possesses abundant genes related to the metabolism of secondary metabolites, including some genes involved in biosurfactant (such as glycolipids and lipopeptides) synthesis. The genome analysis also reveals its genetic basis for nitrogen metabolism, antibiotic resistance, regulatory responses to environmental changes, cell motility, and material transport. The obtained genome data provide us with a better understanding of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, which may contribute to the future design of rational strategies for bioremediation of petroleum-polluted marine environments.

Molecular characterization and gene expression of cathepsin L in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Cathepsin L (CatL) has been widely known for its involvement in the innate immunity. However, it still remains poorly understand how CatL modulates the immune system of teleosts. Moreover, the CatL of Nile tilapia (NtCatL) has not been cloned or characterized. In this study, the gene encoding NtCatL was cloned, and was characterized by bioinformatics analysis, heterologous expression and protease activity assay. The coding sequence of NtCatL is 1017 bp in length and encodes 338 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 38.487 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.79. NtCatL possesses the features of a typical cathepsin L, including one signal peptide, one propeptide region, and one papain family cysteine protease domain containing four active site residues (Gln135, Cys141, His281, and Asn305). The prediction of protein-protein interaction shows that NtCatL may interact with some functional proteins for realizing an immune function. Real-time quantitative PCR revealed the widespread transcriptional expression of NtCatL in six tissues of healthy Nile tilapia, and the NtCatL mRNA is significantly up-regulated after Streptococcus agalactiae challenge. These results suggest that NtCatL is likely to be involved in the immune reaction of Nile tilapia. Recombinant proteins from the mature domain (residues 117-337) of NtCatL were obtained by heterologous expression using pET28a and Rosetta (DE3) competent cells. A protein product with the high purity was obtained by using TALON Superflow purification rather than adopting HisTrap HP columns. The protease activity of the recombinant protein was verified by using a substrate hydrolyzing assay. This work has cloned and characterized the CatL from Nile tilapia for the first time, and contributes to elucidating the immunological functions of CatL.

Hydrogeochemical signatures and evolution of groundwater impacted by the Bayan Obo tailing pond in northwest China.

Uncontrolled leakage from mine tailing ponds can pose a serious environmental threat. Groundwater quality in a semi-arid region with extensive worries about the leakage from one of world's largest tailing ponds is studied herein through an integrated hydrogeochemical analysis and multivariate statistical analysis. Results show that elevated concentrations of NO2(-), B, Mn, NH4(+), F(-), and SO4(2-) in groundwater were probably caused by leakage from the tailing pond and transported with the regional groundwater flow towards downstream Yellow River. While NO2(-) contamination is only limited to areas close to the pond, high B concentrations persist within the contaminated plume originating from the tailing pond. Our current study shows that there is no geochemical evidence for U and Th contamination in groundwater due to leakage from the Bayan Obo tailing pond. Combining effects which includes regional variations, pond leaking and downstream mixing, mineral precipitation and dissolution, redox processes, ion exchange processes and agricultural activities, controlled groundwater hydrogeochemical signatures in the studied area. This study demonstrate that an increase in knowledge of evolution of groundwater quality by integrating field hydrochemical data and multivariate statistical analysis will help understand major water-rock interactions and provide a scientific basis for protection and rational utilization of groundwater resources in this and other tailing-impacted areas.

A chemical tuned strategy to develop novel irreversible EGFR-TK inhibitors with improved safety and pharmacokinetic profiles.

Gatekeeper T790 M mutation in EGFR is the most prevalent factor underlying acquired resistance. Acrylamide-bearing quinazoline derivatives are powerful irreversible inhibitors for overcoming resistance. Nevertheless, concerns about the risk of nonspecific covalent modification have motivated the development of novel cysteine-targeting inhibitors. In this paper, we demonstrate that fluoro-substituted olefins can be tuned to alter Michael addition reactivity. Incorporation of these olefins into the quinazoline templates produced potent EGFR inhibitors with improved safety and pharmacokinetic properties. A lead compound 5a was validated against EGFR(WT), EGFR(T790M) as well as A431 and H1975 cancer cell lines. Additionally, compound 5a displayed a weaker inhibition against the EGFR-independent cancer cell line SW620 when compared with afatinib. Oral administration of 5a at a dose of 30 mg/kg induced tumor regression in a murine-EGFR(L858R/T790M) driven H1975 xenograft model. Also, 5a exhibited improved oral bioavailability and safety as well as favorable tissue distribution properties and enhanced brain uptake. These findings provide the basis of a promising strategy toward the treatment of NSCLC patients with drug resistance.

Upscaling retardation factor in hierarchical porous media with multimodal reactive mineral facies.

Aquifer heterogeneity controls spatial and temporal variability of reactive transport parameters and has significant impacts on subsurface modeling of flow, transport, and remediation. Upscaling (or homogenization) is a process to replace a heterogeneous domain with a homogeneous one such that both reproduce the same response. To make reliable and accurate predictions of reactive transport for contaminant in chemically and physically heterogeneous porous media, subsurface reactive transport modeling needs upscaled parameters such as effective retardation factor to perform field-scale simulations. This paper develops a conceptual model of multimodal reactive mineral facies for upscaling reactive transport parameters of hierarchical heterogeneous porous media. Based on the conceptual model, covariance of hydraulic conductivity, sorption coefficient, flow velocity, retardation factor, and cross-covariance between flow velocity and retardation factor are derived from geostatistical characterizations of a three-dimensional unbounded aquifer system. Subsequently, using a Lagrangian approach the scale-dependent analytical expressions are derived to describe the scaling effect of effective retardation factors in temporal and spatial domains. When time and space scales become sufficiently large, the effective retardation factors approximate their composite arithmetic mean. Correlation between the hydraulic conductivity and the sorption coefficient can significantly affect the values of the effective retardation factor in temporal and spatial domains. When the temporal and spatial scales are relatively small, scaling effect of the effective retardation factors is relatively large. This study provides a practical methodology to develop effective transport parameters for field-scale modeling at which remediation and risk assessment is actually conducted. It does not only bridge the gap between bench-scale measurements to field-scale modeling, but also provide new insights into the influence of hierarchical mineral distribution on effective retardation factor.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Conformationally Constrained Inhibitors Targeting EGFR.

This letter describes the construction of conformationally constrained quinazoline analogues. Structure-activity relationship studies led to the identification of the lead compound 9n . Compound 9n exhibits effective in vitro activity against A431(WT,overexpression) and H1975([L858R/T790M]) cancer cell lines but is significantly less effective against EGFR negative cancer cell lines (SW620, A549, and K562). Compound 9n was also assessed for potency in enzymatic assays and in vivo antitumor studies. The results indicated that 9n is a potent kinase inhibitor against both wild-type and T790M mutant EGFR kinase. Meanwhile, an oral administration of 9n at a dose of 200 mg/kg produced a considerable antitumor effect in a A431 xenograft model, as compared to gefitinib. A preliminary pharmacokinetic study of 9n also indicates it has good pharmacokinetic properties, and therefore, it is a good starting point for further development.

Early Cambrian ocean anoxia in South China.

The cause of the most marked changes in the evolution of life, which define the first-order stratigraphic boundary between the Precambrian and the Phanerozoic eon, remains enigmatic and a highly topical subject of debate. A global ocean anoxic event, triggered by large-scale hydrogen sulphide (H(2)S) release to surface waters, has been suggested by Wille et al., on the basis of two data sets from South China and Oman, to explain the fundamental biological changes across the Precambrian/Cambrian (PC/C) boundary. Here we report a new precise SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age of 532.3 +/- 0.7 million years (Myr) ago (Fig. 1) for a volcanic ash bed in the critical unit that reflects the ocean anoxic event, the lowermost black shale sequence of the Niutitang Formation in the Guizhou Province, South China. This age is significantly younger than the precise PC/C boundary age of 542.0 +/- 0.3 Myr ago, approximately 10 Myr younger than the extinction of the Ediacaran fauna, and thus challenging the view of a major ocean anoxic event having been responsible for the major changes in the direction of evolution at the PC/C boundary.

[Isolation, purification and structural analysis of a polysaccharide MDG-1 from Ophiopogon japonicus].

AIM: To separate and purify the anti-myocardial ischemic polysaccharide fraction with a homogenous molecular weight from Ophiopogon japonicus, then study the chemical structure of the parts. METHODS: Crude polysaccharides were prepared by extracting the tube root fraction of Ophiopogon japonicus with water, then precipitation with ethanol. From the crude polysaccharides, the polysaccharide of MDG-1 was separated and purified using ultrafiltration, DEAE Sepharose FF and Sephadex G-25 column chromatography. Its structure was studied by complete hydrolysis, periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation analysis, 1H NMR and 13C NMR analysis etc. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: MDG-1 was a water-soluble beta-D-fructosan, containing a backbone composed of Fruf (2 --> 1), and a branch of Fruf (2 --> 6) Fruf (2 --> per average 2. 8 of main chain residues. Mn, Mw and Mp of MDG-1 were 3 400, 4 800 and 5 000, respectively. MDG-1 contains trace of Glc, which maybe connect to its reducing terminal. Molar ratio of Fru and Glc is approximately 35: 1.

Detection of autoantibodies in the serum of primary hepatocarcinoma patients.

OBJECTIVE: To study the significance of detecting autoantibodies in primary hepatocarcinoma (PHC) patients. METHODS: Autoantibodies were detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Antigens and antibodies of HBV were determined by enzyme immune assay. Antibody to HCV IgG was detected by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. RESULTS: The positive rate of autoantibody was 27.3% (38/139) in 139 PHC patients. The main type of autoantibodies in PHC was anti-nuclear antibody (36/38, 94.7%), others included anti-smooth muscle antibody(2/38, 5.3%), anti-mitochondria antibody (1/38, 2.6%), anti-midbody antibody (1/38, 2.6%, and anti-liver cell membrane antibody (2/38, 5.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Detecting autoantibodies in PHC patients is of significance in studying the mechanism of autoimmune reaction and etiology in PHC. The diversity of autoantibodies might result from a wide variety of etiological factors involved in PHC development, and from a wide variety of overexpressed or mutated proteins involved in repeated cycles of necrosis and regeneration in hepatocarcinoma development.