Degradation of Mechanical Properties of Graphene Oxide Concrete under Sulfate Attack and Freeze-Thaw Cycle Environment.

In this paper, firstly, the effects of graphene oxide on the mechanical properties of concrete were investigated. Secondly, the degradation and mechanism of the mechanical properties of graphene oxide concrete (GOC) under sulfate attack and a freeze-thaw environment were investigated. In addition, the dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEdy) and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of the GOC were measured under different environmental conditions. According to the test results, the incorporation of graphene oxide in appropriate admixtures could improve the mechanical properties of concrete in these two working environments. It is worth noting that this effect is most pronounced when 0.05 wt% graphene oxide is incorporated. In the sulfate attack environment, the MOEdy and UTS of the GOC0.05% specimen at 120 cycles decreased by 22.28% and 24.23%, respectively, compared with the normal concrete specimens. In the freeze-thaw environment, the MOEdy and UTS of the GOC0.05% specimen at 90 cycles decreased by 13.96% and 7.58%, respectively, compared with the normal concrete specimens. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed that graphene oxide could adjust the aggregation state of cement hydration products and its own reaction with some cement hydration crystals to form strong covalent bonds, thereby improving and enhancing the microstructure density.

Enhancer-driven transcription of MCM8 by E2F4 promotes ATR pathway activation and glioma stem cell characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Glioma stem cells (GSCs) are responsible for glioma recurrence and drug resistance, yet the mechanisms underlying their maintenance remains unclear. This study aimed to identify enhancer-controlled genes involved in GSCs maintenance and elucidate the mechanisms underlying their regulation. METHODS: We analyzed RNA-seq data and H3K27ac ChIP-seq data from GSE119776 to identify differentially expressed genes and enhancers, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis was performed for functional enrichment. Transcription factors were predicted using the Toolkit for Cistrome Data Browser. Prognostic analysis and gene expression correlation was conducted using the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) data. Two GSC cell lines, GSC-A172 and GSC-U138MG, were isolated from A172 and U138MG cell lines. qRT-PCR was used to detect gene transcription levels. ChIP-qPCR was used to detect H3K27ac of enhancers, and binding of E2F4 to target gene enhancers. Western blot was used to analyze protein levels of p-ATR and γH2AX. Sphere formation, limiting dilution and cell growth assays were used to analyze GSCs growth and self-renewal. RESULTS: We found that upregulated genes in GSCs were associated with ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated-and-Rad3-related kinase (ATR) pathway activation, and that seven enhancer-controlled genes related to ATR pathway activation (LIN9, MCM8, CEP72, POLA1, DBF4, NDE1, and CDKN2C) were identified. Expression of these genes corresponded to poor prognosis in glioma patients. E2F4 was identified as a transcription factor that regulates enhancer-controlled genes related to the ATR pathway activation, with MCM8 having the highest hazard ratio among genes positively correlated with E2F4 expression. E2F4 bound to MCM8 enhancers to promote its transcription. Overexpression of MCM8 partially restored the inhibition of GSCs self-renewal, cell growth, and the ATR pathway activation caused by E2F4 knockdown. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that E2F4-mediated enhancer activation of MCM8 promotes the ATR pathway activation and GSCs characteristics. These findings offer promising targets for the development of new therapies for gliomas.

Assessment of reporting quality in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for labor pain.

Objective: To evaluate the reporting quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for labor pain, and to explore relevant factors for facilitating reporting transparency and integrity for future RCTs. Method: Eight Chinese and English databases were systematically searched from their inception until August 31, 2021. General characteristics and methodological quality of the included reports were evaluated based on the CONSORT statement and the STRICTA guidelines. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Cohen's κ-statistics were calculated to assess the agreement of all items between two reviewers. Results: A total of 84 RCTs were included. Based on the CONSORT statement, a positive reporting rate (greater than 80%) was evident for the items "trial design" "participants" "intervention" "outcomes" "numbers analyzed" and "generalizability". The quality of reporting for the items "randomized in the title or abstract" "sample size" "allocation concealment" "implementation" "blinding" "recruitment" "ancillary analyses" "harms" "interpretation" "registration" and "protocol" was poor with positive rates less than 10%. Based on the STRICTA guidelines, the items "extent to which treatment varied" "number of needle insertions per subject per session" and "control or comparator interventions" had poor reporting quality with positive rates of less than 10%. Substantial agreement was observed for most items and excellent agreement for some items. Conclusion: The reporting quality of RCTs of acupuncture for labor pain is suboptimal generally. Rigorous adherence to the CONSORT statement and the STRICTA guidelines should be emphasized in future studies to improve the quality of acupuncture RCT reports.

Study on quantitative diagnosis model of TCM syndromes of post-stroke depression based on combination of disease and syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is one of the most common stroke complications with high morbidity. Researchers have done much clinical research on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment, but very little research on diagnosis. Based on the thought of combination of disease and syndrome, this study will establish a unified and objective quantitative diagnosis model of TCM syndromes of PSD, so as to improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PSD. OBJECTIVE: First: To establish a unified and objective quantitative diagnosis model of TCM syndromes in PSD under different disease courses, and identify the corresponding main, secondary, and concurrent symptoms, which are based on the weighting factor of each TCM symptom. Second: To find out the relationship between different stages of PSD and TCM syndromes. Clarify the main syndrome types of PSD under different stages of disease. Reveal the evolution and progression mechanism of TCM syndromes of PSD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a retrospective study of PSD TCM diagnosis. Three hundred patients who were hospitalized in the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of TCM with complete cases from January 2014 to January 2019 are planned to be recruited. The study will mainly collect the diagnostic information from the cases, find the related indicators of TCM and Western medicine in PSD, and clarify the relationship between different disease stages and TCM syndromes. Finally, the PSD TCM syndrome quantitative diagnosis model will be established based on the operation principle of Back Propagation (BP) artificial neural network. CONCLUSION: To collect sufficient medical records and establish models to speed up the process of TCM diagnosis.

Exosomal miR-214-5p Released from Glioblastoma Cells Modulates Inflammatory Response of Microglia after Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation through Targeting CXCR5.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Exosomes communicate inter-cellularly and miRNAs play critical roles in this scenario. MiR-214-5p was implicated in multiple tumors with diverse functions uncovered. However, whether miR-214-5p is mechanistically involved in glioblastoma, especially via exosomal pathway, is still elusive. Here we sought to comprehensively address the critical role of exosomal miR-214-5p in glioblastoma (GBM) microenvironment. METHODS: The relative expression of miR-214-5p was determined by real-time PCR. Cell viability and migration were measured by MTT and transwell chamber assays, respectively. The secretory cytokines were measured with ELISA kits. The regulatory effect of miR-214-5p on CXCR5 expression was interrogated by luciferase reporter assay. Protein level was analyzed by Western blot. RESULTS: We demonstrated that miR-214-5p was aberrantly overexpressed in GBM and associated with poorer clinical prognosis. High level of miR-214-5p significantly contributed to cell proliferation and migration. GBM-derived exosomal miR-214-5p promoted inflammatory response in primary microglia upon lipopolysaccharide challenge. We further identified CXCR5 as the direct target of miR-214- 5p in this setting. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of miR-214-5p in GBM modulated the inflammatory response in microglia via exosomal transfer.

Methylene Blue Exerts Anticonvulsant and Neuroprotective Effects on Self-Sustaining Status Epilepticus (SSSE) Induced by Prolonged Basolateral Amygdala Stimulation in Wistar Rats.

BACKGROUND This study was designed to investigate the potential anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effects of methylene blue (MB) on self-sustaining status epilepticus (SSSE) induced by prolonged basolateral amygdala stimulation (BLA) in Wistar rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: (1) the Control group (rats without any treatment); (2) the Sham group (rats received electrode implantation but without electrical stimulation); (3) the SSSE group (rats received electrode implantation and additional electrical stimulation); and (4) the SSSE+MB group (rats received 1 mg/kg MB intraperitoneal injection 5 min after SSSE). SSSE models were established by prolonged BLA stimulation. The severities of SSSE were assessed by the number of separate seizures and the accumulated time of seizures. The variations of malondialdehyde/glutathione (MDA/GSH) were assessed 24 h after the establishment of SSSE. Nissl staining was performed to detect the surviving neurons in hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions, and Western blotting assays were used to detect Caspase-3 (CASP3), B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), and BCL2-associated X protein (BAX). RESULTS Compared with the SSSE group, treatment with MB (1) markedly reduced the number and accumulated time of seizure activities; (2) significantly attenuated the increase of MDA and the decrease of GSH hippocampal levels; (3) markedly improved the cell morphology and alleviated the neuronal loss in hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions; (4) significantly attenuated the increase of CASP3 and BAX and the decrease of BCL2 hippocampal levels. CONCLUSIONS MB has a protective effect in the SSSE model and may be useful as an adjuvant for preventing or treating epilepsy in humans.

Downregulation of ZMYND11 induced by miR-196a-5p promotes the progression and growth of GBM.

ZMYND11 (zinc finger MYND-type containing 11) has been widely regarded to be involved in a variety of cancers as a potential suppressor. However, the biological role and mechanism of ZMYND11 in glioblastoma multiform (GBM) remain unknown. In this study, we found that ZMYND11 expression was remarkably decreased in GBM tissues from 20 cases and cell line (U87) compared to normal brain tissue from 10 cases (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we explored that ZMYND11 upregulation significantly suppressed U87 cells proliferation and invasion, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro. Subsequently, we identified increased ZMYND11 inhibited the tumor growth using tumor cells xenograft experiment on rude mice. Moreover, we explored that ZMYND11 was a new direct and functional target of miR-196a-5p in U87 via luciferase reporter assay. In addition, we confirmed the negative correlation between miR-196a-5p and ZMYND11 in GBM tissue and U87 cells by changing the expression level of miR-196a-5p with lentivirus and plasmid vector. Furthermore, we demonstrated that decreased ZMYND11 could reverse suppressive effect of downregulated miR-196a-5p on U87 by rescue experiment. Taken together, ZMYND11 was demonstrated to be a potential and extremely promising suppressor of GBM, while miRNA-196a-5p was quite an important target of treatment of GBM.

Exosomal miR-221 targets DNM3 to induce tumor progression and temozolomide resistance in glioma.

MicroRNA is an important regulator of glioblastoma. This study aims at validating microRNA-221 (miR-221) as a biomarker for glioblastoma, and understanding how miR-221 regulates glioblastoma progression. Using clinical samples, miR-221 expression was analyzed by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qPCR). SHG-44 cells were treated with anti-miR-221 or U87MG-derived exosomes followed by monitoring changes in cell viability, migration and temozolomide (TMZ) resistance. Bioinformatics approach was used to identify targets of miR-221. The interaction between miR-221 and its target, DNM3 gene, was studied with dual-luciferase reporter assay, Spearman's correlation analysis, and western blotting. To verify that RELA regulates miR-221 expression, RELA-expressing vector or shRNA was introduced into SHG-44 cells and its effect on miR-221 expression was monitored. Both tissue-level and exosomal miR-221 expression increased with glioma grades. In SHG-44 cells, downregulating miR-221 expression inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and TMZ resistance, whereas incubation with U87MG-derived exosomes exerted tumor-promoting effects. DNM3 gene is a target of miR-221. RELA induced miR-221 expression. In glioma, elevated miR-221 expression is a biomarker for glioma. DNM3 is a target of miR-221 and RELA regulates miR-221 expression. The RELA/miR-221 axis is a target for glioma diagnosis and therapy.

Impact of learning adaptability and time management disposition on study engagement among Chinese baccalaureate nursing students.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among study engagement, learning adaptability, and time management disposition in a sample of Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. A convenient sample of 467 baccalaureate nursing students was surveyed in two universities in Tianjin, China. Students completed a questionnaire that included their demographic information, Chinese Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Questionnaire, Learning Adaptability Scale, and Adolescence Time Management Disposition Scale. One-way analysis of variance tests were used to assess the relationship between certain characteristics of baccalaureate nursing students. Pearson correlation was performed to test the correlation among study engagement, learning adaptability, and time management disposition. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the mediating role of time management disposition. The results revealed that study engagement (F = 7.20, P < .01) and learning adaptability (F = 4.41, P < .01) differed across grade groups. Learning adaptability (r = 0.382, P < .01) and time management disposition (r = 0.741, P < .01) were positively related with study engagement. Time management disposition had a partially mediating effect on the relationship between study engagement and learning adaptability. The findings implicate that educators should not only promote interventions to increase engagement of baccalaureate nursing students but also focus on development, investment in adaptability, and time management.

[Randomized controlled trials of acupuncture and moxibustion for post-stroke constipation: a meta analysis].

The clinical efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion for post-stroke constipation was systematically reviewed. By computerized and manual retrieval of clinical research literature regarding acupuncture and moxibustion for post-stroke constipation, the randomized control trials (RCTs) that met the inclusive criteria were collected. Cochrane systematic review method was used and Revmen 5.2 software was adopted to perform this Meta analysis. Totally 8 articles were included, involving 610 cases of post-stroke constipation. As a result, the total effective rate and cured rate of acupuncture and moxibustion for post-stroke constipation were significantly superior to those of the control group [total effective rate: OR = 2.10, 95% CI (1.25, 3.54), Z = 2.78, P = 0.005; cured rate: OR = 2.37, 95% CI (1.57, 3.58), Z = 4.10, P < 0.0001]. This result indicated that acupuncture was effective for post-stroke constipation and had some advantages compared with other therapies. But the quality of included RCTs was low, and high-quality, large-sample and multi-center RCTs were needed to perform further verification.