Influence of mentoring on the proactive behavior of new employees: moderated mediation effect of agreeableness.

Objective: In recent years, faced with a complex economic development environment and the evolving dynamics of the Chinese workplace, talent has become a precious resource that is invaluable yet scarce for every enterprise. As Generation Z employees have gradually entered the labor market, they contribute new perspectives and energies to various enterprises and pose unique challenges. The traditional step-by-step approach no longer meets the needs of today's businesses. Companies require more proactive talents to drive superior performance. Individuals with proactive behavior can effectively plan their career paths and are better equipped to fulfill core organizational tasks. Therefore, it is crucial for organizations to effectively mitigate the perceived negative impacts of proactive behavior, encouraging individuals to exhibit more positive proactive actions. Methods: Based on the proactive motivation model, this study investigates the effects of mentoring, balanced psychological contract, proactive behavior, and agreeableness on the proactive behaviors of new employees. The research surveyed 417 new employees from Guangdong Province, China, who had graduated within the last three years, with a gender distribution of 49.4% male and 50.6% female. Results: Structural Equation Modeling was used for data analysis, and the following results were obtained: First, mentoring positively affected the balanced psychological contract and new employees' proactive behavior. Second, mentoring positively affected the new employees' proactive behavior through the balanced psychological contract. Third, agreeableness played a moderating role in the relationship between mentoring and new employees' proactive behavior, and in the relationship between mentoring and the balanced psychological contracts. Finally, the positive indirect effect of mentoring through the balanced psychological contract on new employees' proactive behavior is positively moderated by agreeableness. Conclusion: The results of this study offer new insights into mentoring research for new employees and provide practical guidance for fostering the balanced psychological contract and proactive behavior among new employees. This research enriches the existing literature on mentoring for new employees by demonstrating the integral roles of agreeableness and a balanced psychological contract in fostering proactive behavior, offering valuable insights for organizational practices aimed at enhancing employee proactivity.

SfREPAT38, a pathogen response gene (REPAT), is involved in immune response of Spodoptera frugiperda larvae through mediating Toll signalling pathway.

REPAT (response to pathogen) is an immune-associated gene family that plays important roles in insect immune response to pathogens. Although nine REPAT genes have been identified in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) currently, their functions and mechanisms in the immune response to pathogens still remain unclear. Therefore, SfREPAT38, a pathogen response gene (REPAT) of S. frugiperda, was characterised and its function was analysed. The results showed that SfREPAT38 contains a signal peptide and a transcription activator MBF2 (multi-protein bridging factor 2) domain. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that SfREPAT38 was highly expressed in the sixth-instar larvae (L6) and was the highest in expression in the midgut of L6. We found that the expression of SfREPAT38 could be activated by challenge with four microbial pathogens (Bacillus thuringiensis, Metarhizium anisopliae, Spodoptera exigua nuclearpolyhedrosis and Escherichia coli), except 12 h after E. coli infection. Furthermore, the SfREPAT38 expression levels significantly decreased at 24, 48 and 72 h after SfREPAT38 dsRNA injection or feeding. Feeding with SfREPAT38 dsRNA significantly decreased the weight gain of S. frugiperda, and continuous feeding led to the death of S. frugiperda larvae from the fourth day. Moreover, SfREPAT38 dsRNA injection resulted in a significant decrease of weight gain on the fifth day. Silencing SfREPAT38 gene down-regulated the expression levels of immune genes belonging to the Toll pathway, including SPZ, Myd88, DIF, Cactus, Pell and Toll18W. After treatment with SfREPAT38 dsRNA, S. frugiperda became extremely sensitive to the B. thuringiensis infection, and the survival rate dramatically increased, with 100% mortality by the eighth day. The weight of S. frugiperda larvae was also significantly lower than that of the control groups from the second day onwards. In addition, the genes involved in the Toll signalling pathway and a few antibacterial peptide related genes were down-regulated after treatment. These results showed that SfREPAT38 is involved in the immune response of S. frugiperda larvae through mediating Toll signalling pathway.

Dihydroartemisinin inhibits angiogenesis in breast cancer via regulating VEGF and MMP-2/-9.

BACKGROUND: Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is an artemisinin derivative known for its antimalarial properties. It has also shown potential as an anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic agent. However, its specific role in inhibiting angiogenesis in breast cancer is not well understood. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the anti-angiogenesis effect of DHA on breast cancer and explore its potential as a therapeutic drug. Our objectives were to assess the impact of DHA on neovascularization induced by MDA-MB-231 cells, evaluate its effects on vessel sprout and tube-formation in vascular endothelial cells, and analyze the expression of key angiogenesis-related proteins. METHODS: Using a chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model, we cultured MDA-MB-231 cells and treated them with DHA. We assessed neovascularization and cultured vascular endothelial cells with DHA-treated cell media to evaluate vessel sprout and tube-formation. Protein expression levels of VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were analyzed using Western blotting. RESULTS: DHA significantly attenuated neovascularization induced by MDA-MB-231 cells. It also suppressed vessel sprout and tube-formation of HUVEC cells when exposed to DHA-treated cell media. Furthermore, DHA downregulated the expression of VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9 proteins. Mechanistically, DHA inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, ERK, and NF-κB proteins in tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence of the inhibitory effect of DHA on breast cancer angiogenesis. These findings support the potential of DHA as an anti-breast cancer drug and warrant further investigation for its therapeutic applications.

Overexpression of salusin­ß downregulates adipoR1 expression to prevent fatty acid oxidation in HepG2 cells.

Salusin­ß and adiponectin receptor 1 (adipoR1) serve important roles in the development of certain cardiovascular diseases and lipid metabolism. However, to the best of our knowledge, the relationship between salusin­ß and adipoR1, and their underlying mechanisms of action, currently remain unclear. In the present study, lentiviral vectors designed to overexpress salusin­ß or knock down salusin­ß expression were used in 293T and HepG2 cells. Semi­quantitative PCR was performed to investigate the relationship between salusin­ß and adipoR1 mRNA expression in 293T cells. Western blotting was used to assess the protein expression levels of adipoR1, adenosine monophosphate­activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl­CoA carboxylase (ACC) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A (CPT­1A) in transfected HepG2 cells. Simultaneously, HepG2 cells were treated with an adipoR1 inhibitor (thapsigargin) or agonist (AdipoRon) and the resultant changes in the expression levels of the aforementioned proteins were observed. Oil Red O staining and measurements of cellular triglyceride levels were performed to assess the extent of lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. The results demonstrated that salusin­ß overexpression downregulated adipoR1 expression and inhibited the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC, which led to decreased CPT­1A protein expression. By contrast, salusin­ß knockdown increased adipoR1 expression and promoted the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC, which conversely enhanced CPT­1A protein expression. Treatment with adipoR1 agonist, AdipoRon, reversed the effects of salusin­ß overexpression. In addition, salusin­ß overexpression enhanced intracellular lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells induced by free fatty acid treatment. These findings highlighted the potential regulatory role of salusin­ß in adipoR1­mediated signaling pathways. To conclude, the present study provided insights into the regulation of fatty acid metabolism by the liver. In particular, salusin­ß may serve as a potential target for the therapeutic intervention of metabolic disorders of lipids.

Comparison of bioelectrical body and visceral fat indices and anthropometric measures in relation to type 2 diabetes by sex among Chinese adults, a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: We aim to compare the efficacies of the bioelectrical indices (percentage of body fat, PBF; visceral fat area, VFA) with the conventional anthropometric measures (body mass index, BMI; waist-hip ratio, WHR) for predicting type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk by sex and to determine the sex-specific optimal adiposity indices to predict the T2D risk. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: Tianjin First Central Hospital and Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China. Participants: A total of 9,332 adults (41.35% men) undergoing physical examination. Primary and secondary outcome measures: T2D was defined using the WHO's criteria: fasting blood glucose (FBG) ≥7.0 mmol/L and/or previous diagnosis of T2D. Height, weight, waist, hip, PBF, VFA, and fasting plasma glucose were measured. Results: All studied adiposity indices were associated with T2D among both males and females, and the observed associations differed by sex. The standardized aORs of BMI, WHR, PBF and VFA for T2D were 1.60 (95% CI 1.42-1.81), 1.43 (95% CI 1.25-1.64), 1.42 (95% CI 1.23-1.62) and 1.53 (95% CI 1.35-1.75) for females, and 1.47 (95% CI 1.31-1.66), 1.40 (95% CI 1.25-1.58), 1.54 (95% CI 1.36-1.74) and 1.47 (95% CI 1.31-1.65) for males, respectively. The AUCs of VFA, WHR and BMI were 0.743, 0.742 and 0.717 in women, respectively, whereas none of the indices had AUC larger than 0.70 in men. The AUCs were not significantly different between VFA and WHR, while both demonstrate larger AUCs than BMI and PBF in females (all p < 0.05). The optimal cutoff values of VFA, WHR, and BMI for T2D in women were 103.55 cm2, 0.905, and 24.15 kg/m2, respectively. Conclusion: Although BMI, WHR, and PBF and VFA as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) were all positively associated with T2D, their efficacy for predicting the risk of T2D differed by sex. VFA, WHR and BMI could be used as biomarkers to predict T2D risk in women, however none of the study indicators demonstrated favorable efficacy of predicting T2D risk in men.

GhMYC1374 regulates the cotton defense response to cotton aphids by mediating the production of flavonoids and free gossypol.

Myelocytomatosis (MYC) transcription factors (TFs) in plants are well-known regulators of plant defense against herbivores. However, the role and mechanism of MYC TFs in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) defense against cotton aphids (Aphis gossypii Glover) remain still elusive. Herein, on the basis of aphid-induced cotton transcriptome analysis, GhMYC1374, a cotton MYC2-like TF that was highly induced by cotton aphid attack, has been identified that confers cotton aphid resistance in cotton. GhMYC1374 was an intranuclear transcription factor with three domains: bHLH-MYC_N, RBR and bHLH_AtAIB_like. GhMYC1374 was induced under cotton aphid feeding, exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid (SA) treatments. GhMYC1374 transient overexpression in cotton plants enhanced cotton aphid-resistance, while GhMYC1374 silence through VIGS (virus induced gene silencing) decreased cotton aphid-resistance. GhMYC1374 transient overexpression of in cotton plants activated the phenylpropane pathway and promoted the synthesis of flavonoids, and resistance to thus enhanced the cotton resistance against aphids. In contrast, GhMYC1374 silence inhibited the biosynthesis of flavonoids. In addition, GhMYC1374 also positively activated the expression of the biosynthetic genes of free gossypol, leading to the high content of free gossypol. Taken together, our results suggest that GhMYC1374 is involved in the cotton defense response against cotton aphids by regulating the biosynthesis of flavonoids and free gossypol.

Cuprate superconducting materials above liquid nitrogen temperature from machine learning.

The superconductivity of cuprates remains a challenging topic in condensed matter physics, and the search for materials that superconduct electricity above liquid nitrogen temperature and even at room temperature is of great significance for future applications. Nowadays, with the advent of artificial intelligence, research approaches based on data science have achieved excellent results in material exploration. We investigated machine learning (ML) models by employing separately the element symbolic descriptor atomic feature set 1 (AFS-1) and a prior physics knowledge descriptor atomic feature set 2 (AFS-2). An analysis of the manifold in the hidden layer of the deep neural network (DNN) showed that cuprates still offer the greatest potential as superconducting candidates. By calculating the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) value, it is evident that the covalent bond length and hole doping concentration emerge as the crucial factors influencing the superconducting critical temperature (Tc). These findings align with our current understanding of the subject, emphasizing the significance of these specific physical quantities. In order to improve the robustness and practicability of our model, two types of descriptors were used to train the DNN. We also proposed the idea of cost-sensitive learning, predicted the sample in another dataset, and designed a virtual high-throughput search workflow.

Ultrasound-assisted biomimetic nanobubbles for targeted treatment of atherosclerosis.

Cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis remains the main reason of death in the worldwide scale. Although oxidative stress plays a key role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, current antioxidant drugs have limited efficacy. To resolve this problem, we constructed Nox2 siRNA-loaded nanobubbles (PNBs-siNox2) coated with platelet membranes to utilize their antioxidant stress activity and targeting effect for atherosclerosis treatment. After platelet membranes modification, the capacity of PNBs-siNox2 to target collagen, foam cells, or human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was significantly increased. Moreover, our study demonstrated that under ultrasonic irradiation, biomimetic nanobubbles were more effective at targeting atherosclerotic plaques and delivering genes into cells. In the present study, we provided a biomimetic gene loading strategy based on nanoplatform for noninvasive, precise and efficient therapy of atherosclerosis, which further improved the efficiency of gene transfection and effectively slowed the progression of atherosclerotic plaques when combined with ultrasound.

Overexpression of salusin­α upregulates AdipoR2 and activates the PPARα/ApoA5/SREBP­1c pathway to inhibit lipid synthesis in HepG2 cells.

Salusin­α and adiponectin, are vasoactive peptides with numerous similar biological effects related to lipid metabolism. Adiponectin has been shown to reduce fatty acid oxidation and to inhibit lipid synthesis of liver cells through its receptor, adiponectin receptor 2 (AdipoR2), but whether salusin­α is able to interact with AdipoR2, was not previously reported. To investigate this, in vitro experiments were carried out. The overexpression and interference recombinant plasmids were constructed with salusin­α. The lentiviral expression systems of salusin­α overexpression and interference were respectively synthesized in 293T cells, and 293T cells were infected with the lentivirus. Finally, the association between salusin­α and AdipoR2 was analyzed by semi­quantitative PCR. Subsequently, HepG2 cells were also infected with these viruses. The expression levels of AdipoR2, peroxisome proliferator­activated receptor­α (PPARα), apolipoprotein A5 (ApoA5) and sterol regulatory element­binding transcription factor 1 (SREBP­1c) were detected by western blotting, and AdipoR2 inhibitor (thapsigargin) and agonist [4­phenyl butyric acid (PBA)] were used to observe the resultant changes in the aforementioned molecules. The results obtained revealed that the overexpression of salusin­α increased the level of AdipoR2 in 293T and HepG2 cells, led to an upregulation of the levels of PPARα and ApoA5, and inhibited the expression of SREBP­1c, whereas the salusin­α interference lentivirus exerted the opposite effects. Notably, thapsigargin inhibited the expression of AdipoR2, PPARα and ApoA5 in HepG2 cells of pHAGE­Salusin­α group, and caused an increase in the level of SREBP­1c, whereas the opposite effects were observed in pLKO.1­shSalusin­α#1 group upon treatment with PBA. Taken together, these data demonstrated that overexpression of salusin­α upregulated AdipoR2, which in turn activated the PPARα/ApoA5/SREBP­1c signaling pathway to inhibit lipid synthesis in HepG2 cells, thereby providing theoretical data on which to base the clinical application of salusin­α as a novel peptide for molecular intervention in fatty liver disease.

GhMYB18 confers Aphis gossypii Glover resistance through regulating the synthesis of salicylic acid and flavonoids in cotton plants.

KEY MESSAGE: R2R3 MYB transcription factor GhMYB18 is involved in the defense response to cotton aphid by participating in the synthesis of salicylic acid and flavonoids. R2R3 MYB transcription factors (TFs) play crucial roles in plant growth and development as well as response to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the mechanism of R2R3 MYB TFs in cotton response to aphid infestation remains largely unknown. Here, an R2R3 MYB transcription factor GhMYB18 was identified as a gene up-regulated from upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover) infestation. GhMYB18, which has transcription activity, was localized mainly to nucleus and cell membranes. Transient overexpression of GhMYB18 in cotton activates salicylic acid (SA) and phenylpropane signaling pathways and promoted the synthesis of salicylic acid and flavonoids, which leads to enhancing the tolerance to cotton aphid feeding. In contrast, silencing of GhMYB18 increased the susceptibility of G. hirsutum to aphid. Additionally, GhMYB18 significantly promoted the activities of defense-related enzymes including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). These results collectively suggest that GhMYB18 is involved in cotton defense response to cotton aphid attacks through regulating the synthesis of salicylic acid and flavonoids.

ZmRop1 participates in maize defense response to the damage of Spodoptera frugiperda larvae through mediating ROS and soluble phenol production.

As plant-specific molecular switches, Rho-like GTPases (Rops) are vital for plant survival in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their roles in plant defense response to phytophagous insect's damage are largely unknown. In this study, the expression levels of nine maize RAC family genes were analyzed after fall armyworm (FAW) larvae infestation. Among the analyzed genes, ZmRop1 was specifically and highly expressed, and its role in maize response to FAW larvae damage was studied. The results showed that upon FAW larvae infestation, salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate treatment ZmRop1 gene transcripts were all down-regulated. However, upon mechanical injury, the expression level of ZmRop1 was up-regulated. Overexpression of ZmRop1 gene in maize plants could improve maize plant resistance to FAW larvae damage. Conversely, silencing of ZmRop1 increased maize plant susceptibility to FAW larvae damage. The analysis of the potential anti-herbivore metabolites, showed that ZmRop1 promoted the enzyme activities of catalase, peroxidase and the expression levels of ZmCAT, ZmPOD, ZmRBOHA and ZmRBOHB, thereby enhancing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, including the content of O2- and H2O2. In addition, overexpression or silencing of ZmRop1 could have influence on the content of the total soluble phenol through mediating the activity of polyphenol oxidase. In summary, the results illuminated our understanding of how ZmRop1 participate in maize defense response to FAW larvae damage as a positive regulator through mediating ROS production and can be used as a reference for the green prevention and control of FAW larvae.

Cloning of goat PGAM2 gene and its overexpression promotes the differentiation of intramuscular preadipocytes.

As a member of the PGAMs family, PGAM2 has been proved to catalyze the reversible reaction of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA) to 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PGA) in the glycolytic pathway. However, it is unclear whether PGAM2 has a role in regulating differentiation in goat intramuscular preadipocytes. Here, this study was carried to clone the open reading frame (ORF) of goat PGAM2, elucidate its molecular and expressional characteristics, and evaluate the involvement in adipogenesis of intramuscular preadipocytes. According to our findings, the cloned goat PGAM2 gene was 784 bp in full length, including 762 bp of ORF and encoding a protein of 253 amino acids. The expressional level of PGAM2 peaked at 48 hours after induced adipogenic differentiation and was highest in the skeletal muscle of triceps. Moreover, overexpression of PGAM2 transfected by its overexpression plasmid promotes lipid accumulation of goat intramuscular adipocyte as shown by Oil Red O and bodipy staining, accompanied by up-regulating the mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) (p < 0.001), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) (p < 0.001), CCAAT/Enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) (p < 0.01) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (p < 0.01). Taken together, these findings indicate that PGAM2 is a positive regulator for goat intramuscular adipocytes and provide new insights into improvement intramuscular fat deposition in goat meat.

Necroptosis Plays a Crucial Role in Vascular Injury during DVT and Is Enhanced by IL-17B.

Background: This study investigated whether vascular endothelial necroptosis is involved in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and how IL-17B facilitates necroptosis signaling. Methods: The DVT mouse model was induced by ligation of the IVC. The cross-sectional area of thrombus increases and the thrombus occupied the entire venous lumen at 48 h after ligation. Meanwhile, the increased expression of p-RIP3/RIP3 was most pronounced at 48 h after ligation, and the p-MLKL/MLKL peaked at 72 h. Results: Based on Illumina sequencing and KEGG pathway analyses, the activated RIP3/MLKL is associated with increased IL-17B. With thrombus formation, IL-17B was upregulated and enhanced the expression of RIP3 and MLKL in the IVC wall, as well as their phosphorylation levels (all P < 0.05, the comparison group consisted of the control group, DVT group, DVT/IL-17B group, and DVT/anti-IL-17B group). The p-RIP3/RIP3 and p-MLKL/MLKL ratios were reduced by anti-IL-17B. Similarly, the weight and cross-sectional area of the thrombi were increased by IL-17B and decreased by the IL-17B antibody. IL-17B had a smaller effect on thrombosis in knockout mice compared with WT mice. In vitro, the IL-17B protein expression and the level of RIP3 and MLKL phosphorylation increased high in the OGD cells, accompanied by increased expression of IL-6 and TNF-α. IL-17B enhanced the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α but had little effect on the IL-6 and TNF-α after transfected with siRIP3 or siMLKL. Similarly, the plasma IL-17B, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly increased after thrombosis in WT mice, and enhanced by IL-17B. But IL-17B did not increase the plasma IL-6 and TNF-α in knockout mice. Conclusions: In conclusion, those results suggest that vascular endothelial necroptosis plays a crucial role in vascular injury and IL-17B could enhance the necroptosis pathway.

Propofol Versus Sevoflurane General Anaesthesia for Selective Impairment of Attention Networks After Gynaecological Surgery in Middle-Aged Women: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Attention is an essential component of cognitive function that may be impaired after surgery with anaesthesia. Propofol intravenous anaesthesia and sevoflurane inhalational anaesthesia are frequently used in gynaecological surgery. However, which type of anaesthetic has fewer cognitive effects postoperatively remains unclear. We compared the differences in attention network impairment after surgery in women receiving propofol versus sevoflurane general anaesthesia. Patients and Methods: Eighty-three patients with gynaecological diseases who were 40-60 years of age were involved in the study. All patients underwent elective gynaecological surgery under either total intravenous anaesthesia or sevoflurane inhalational anaesthesia, depending on randomisation. The efficiencies of the three attention networks were captured using the attention network test preoperatively and on the 1st and 5th postoperative days. Results: Both groups of patients showed differences in impairments on the 1st and 5th postoperative days. Pairwise comparisons indicated that the alerting and orienting networks of patients in the propofol group were impaired to a greater extent than those of patients in the sevoflurane group on the 1st postoperative day, while the executive control network was impaired to a lesser extent. On the 5th postoperative day, the alerting networks of both groups recovered to the baseline level. Patients in the propofol group still showed impairment of the orienting network, while patients in the sevoflurane group recovered to baseline. For the executive control network, patients in the sevoflurane group still exhibited more severe impairment than those in the propofol group. Conclusion: In middle-aged women, propofol impaired orienting and alerting networks more than sevoflurane, while sevoflurane showed more residual impairment of the executive control network.

GhCalS5 is involved in cotton response to aphid attack through mediating callose formation.

Callose synthase plays an essential role in plant growth and development and in response to all sorts of stresses through regulating callose formation. However, few research about the function and mechanism of the insect resistance of callose synthase genes have been reported in cotton. In this study, a cotton callose synthase gene GhCalS5 was cloned, and its function and mechanism of resistance to cotton aphids were analyzed. The expression of GhCalS5 was significantly upregulated in both, leaves and stems of cotton plants at 48 h after cotton aphid infestation and in the leaves of cotton plants at 24 h after salicylic acid treatment. The overexpression of GhCalS5 enhanced cotton resistance to cotton aphids. Expectedly silencing of GhCalS5 reduced cotton resistance to cotton aphids. Overexpression of GhCalS5 enhanced callose formation in cotton leaves. Our results suggest that GhCalS5 is involved in cotton resistance against cotton aphids by influencing callose formation.

Associations between night-time sleep duration and fasting glucose and ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol among adults free of type 2 diabetes or without diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a multicentre, cross-sectional study in China.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the associations between night-time sleep duration and fasting glucose (FG), triglyceride (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and body mass index (BMI) among adults free of type 2 diabetes (T2D) or without diagnosed T2D. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Medical examination centres at six hospitals in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were recruited via multistage, stratified cluster sampling. We included adults free of T2D or without diagnosed T2D who attended for physical examination and completed the validated questionnaire. 32 497 participants were included in the study, of whom 52.50% were men. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: FG, TG, HDL-C, height and weight were measured. RESULTS: Overall, 12.80% and 9.67% reported night sleep duration <7 hours and ≥9 hours, respectively; 6.91% had elevated FG and 3.57% had undiagnosed T2D. Sleep duration had an independent, U-shaped associated with FG (ß1 (linear term)=-0.111, p=0.047; ß2 (quadratic term)=0.008, p=0.026) with 6.9 hours of sleep associated with the lowest FG and a negative association with BMI (ß=-0.154, p<0.001). BMI mediated a U-shaped association of sleep duration with TG/HDL-C (ß1=-0.040, p=0.017; ß2=0.003, p=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Both short and long night-time sleep was associated with elevated FG, and short sleep duration was associated with increased BMI. BMI mediated a U-shaped association between sleep duration and TG/HDL-C.

Acid Water-ground Nano-realgar Is Superior to Crude Realgar in Promoting Apoptosis of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

OBJECTIVE: Realgar is a traditional mineral Chinese medicine with antitumor effects, but it has high toxicity and low efficacy in its crude form. The purpose of this study was to optimize realgar to increase its efficacy and therapeutic potential. METHODS: Crude realgar (CR) was mechanically ground to obtain nano-realgar (NR), and then nano-realgar processed products (NRPPs) were obtained using three different traditional Chinese medicine processing methods: grinding in water, acid water, and alkali water, respectively. RESULTS: By analyzing the size distribution of nanoparticles and the content of arsenic trioxide (As2O3; ATO), we found that acid water-ground NRPPs had the characteristics of high purity and low toxicity. The effects of CR, NR, and NRPPs on proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of MCF-7 cells were detected, and the ability of NRPPs to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells was analyzed. The results showed that the average particle size of acid water-ground NRPPs was 137.7 nm, and the content of ATO was 2.83 mg/g. Acid water-ground NRPPs showed better effects on inhibiting proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of MCF-7 cells than CR and NR. Western blot assays further confirmed that acid water-ground NRPPs upregulated the protein expression of TP53, Bax, cytochrome c, caspase-9, and caspase-3 in MCF-7 cells (P<0.05) and inhibited the expression of Bcl-2 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that acid water-ground NRPPs can induce apoptosis of MCF-7 cells through regulating mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, providing evidence for the clinical application of realgar.

Synthesis and Phase Behavior of (Semifluorinated Alkane)-Based Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Copolymers.

Side-chain liquid crystalline polymer (SCLCP) usually contains a simple and flexible homopolymer as main chain, while its effect on the self-assembly behavior is often ignored. In this work, in order to increase the structural complexity and investigate the interaction between the main chain and mesogens, perfluorinated segments are introduced into the main chain using a photoinduced Step Transfer-Addition & Radical-Termination polymerization method, producing a novel series of SCLCPs containing 4-methoxyphenyl benzoate mesogens, soft hydrocarbon spacers, and a strictly alternating perfluoroalkyl and alkyl backbone. By adjusting the length of spacers or perfluoroalkyl segments, several mesophases with complex chain packing structures are achieved. This design strategy that constructing highly ordered liquid crystalline (LC) structures from SCLCPs with precise chemical structure provides a facile way toward novel LC nanomaterials.

Association Between Habitual Night Sleep Duration and Predicted 10-Year Cardiovascular Risk by Sex Among Young and Middle-Aged Adults.

Purpose: We hypothesize the association between sleep duration and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk varies with age category; however, evidence for the relationship between sleep duration and CVD risk among young and middle-aged adults remains scarce. This research aims to assess the association between night sleep duration and cardiovascular risk by sex among young and middle-aged Chinese adults. Patients and Methods: We used the baseline data of a cohort of adults for physical examination by stratified cluster sampling. The Framingham risk score and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to measure CVD risk and sleep duration, respectively. Demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, height, weight, total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were collected. We performed multiple logistic regressions to examine the association between night sleep duration and the predicted cardiovascular risk. Results: We included 27,547 participants aged 18-64 years free of CVD, cerebral stroke, and not taking lipid-lowering agents. Overall, 12.7%, and 20.4% were at medium and high predicted CVD risk, respectively; 11.9% and 12.3% reported short and long sleep, respectively. Short sleep was independently associated with 23% (95% CI: 1.08-1.40) increased odds of medium-to-high CVD risk and 26% (95% CI: 1.11-1.45) increased odds of high CVD risk among females. Whereas long sleep was independently associated with 17% (95% CI: 0.71-0.98) decreased odds of medium-to-high CVD risk among males. Conclusion: Among young and middle-aged adults, long sleep was associated with decreased odds of CVD risk in males, whereas short sleep was associated with increased odds of cardiovascular risk in females.

Modeling and Analysis of Acoustic Emission Generated by Fatigue Cracking.

The acoustic emission (AE) method is a popular and well-developed method for passive structural health monitoring of metallic and composite structures. The current study focuses on the analysis of one of its processes, sound source or signal propagation. This paper discusses the principle of plate wave signal sensing using piezoelectric transducers, and derives an analytical expression for the response of piezoelectric transducers under the action of stress waves, to obtain an overall mathematical model of the acoustic emission signal from generation to reception. The acoustic emission caused by fatigue crack extension is simulated by a finite element method, and the actual acoustic emission signal is simulated by a pencil lead break experiment. The results predicted by the mathematical model are compared with the experimental results and the simulation results, respectively, and show good agreement. In addition, the presence of obvious S0 mode Lamb waves is observed in the simulation results and experimental results, which further verifies the correctness of the analytical model prediction.