Chronic Pain for Rheumatological Disorders: Pathophysiology, Therapeutics and Evidence.

Pain is the leading reason people seek orthopedic and rheumatological care. By definition, most pain can be classified as nociceptive, or pain resulting from non-neural tissue injury or potential injury, with between 15% and 50% of individuals suffering from concomitant neuropathic pain or the newest category of pain, nociplastic pain, defined as "pain arising from altered nociception despite no clear evidence of actual or threatened tissue damage, or of a disease or lesion affecting the somatosensory system.‿ Pain classification is important because it affects treatment decisions at all levels of care. Although several instruments can assist with classifying treatment, physician designation is the reference standard. The appropriate treatment of pain should ideally involve multidisciplinary care including physical therapy, psychotherapy and integrative therapies when appropriate, and pharmacotherapy with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for acute, mechanical pain, membrane stabilizers for neuropathic and nociplastic pain, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants for all types of pain. For non-surgical interventions, there is evidence to support a small effect for epidural steroid injections for an intermediate-term duration, and conflicting evidence for radiofrequency ablation to provide at least 6 months of benefit for facet joint pain, knee osteoarthritis, and sacroiliac joint pain. Since pain and disability represent the top reason for elective surgery, it should be reserved for patients who fail conservative interventions. Risk factors for procedural failure are the same as risk factors for conservative treatment failure and include greater disease burden, psychopathology, opioid use, central sensitization and multiple co-morbid pain conditions, poorly controlled preoperative and postoperative pain, and secondary gain.

Lysine-mediated surface modification of cellulose nanocrystal films for multi-channel anti-counterfeiting.

Utilizing advanced multiple channels for information encryption offers a powerful strategy to achieve high-capacity and highly secure data protection. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) offer a sustainable resource for developing information protection materials. In this study, we present an approach that is easy to implement and adapt for the covalent attachment of various fluorescence molecules onto the surface of CNCs using the Mannich reaction in aqueous-based medium. Through the use of the Mannich reaction-based surface modification technique, we successfully achieved multi-color fluorescence in the resulting CNCs. The resulting CNC derivatives were thoroughly characterized by two dimensional heteronuclear single quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance (2D HSQC NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy. Notably, the optical properties of CNCs were well maintained after modification, resulting in films exhibiting blue and red structural colors. This enables the engineering of highly programmable and securely encoded anti-counterfeit labels. Moreover, subsequent coating of the modified CNCs with MXene yielded a highly secure encrypted matrix, offering advanced security and encryption capabilities under ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths. This CNC surface-modification enables the development of multimodal security labels with potential applications across various practical scenarios.

The relationship between stigma and quality of life in hospitalized middle-aged and elderly patients with chronic diseases: the mediating role of depression and the moderating role of psychological resilience.

Objective: Patients with chronic diseases may have some psychological problems due to their own or surrounding environmental factors, which can adversely affect the patient's illness and life. Given that the number of chronically ill patients in China is currently increasing every year, more research is needed to determine the best ways to manage changes in psychological status and psychological stress responses in chronically ill patients. The researchers constructed a mediated moderation model to explore the impact of stigma on the quality of life of chronically ill patients, as well as the mediating role of depression and the moderating role of psychological resilience. Methods: A stratified sampling method was used to select 363 middle-aged and old-aged patients with chronic diseases aged 45 years and older from the Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University for the study. Data were collected from patients with chronic diseases such as cardiac, respiratory, renal, and other chronic diseases using the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G), the Stigma Scale for Patients with Chronic Diseases (SSCI), the Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Quality of Life Inventory (SF-12), and the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were collected from patients with cardiac, respiratory, renal, and other chronic diseases. A descriptive analysis was used to describe the sample. Linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between the variables. Mediation and moderation analyses were used to explore the mediating role of depression and the moderating role of psychological resilience. Results: There was a moderate negative correlation between stigma and quality of life (r = -0.378, P < 0.01). There was a moderate negative correlation between depression and quality of life (r = -0.497, P < 0.01). There was a moderately positive correlation between psychological resilience and quality of life (r = 0.382, P < 0.01). There was a moderate negative correlation between psychological resilience and depression (r = -0.348, P < 0.01). There was a weak negative correlation between psychological resilience and stigma (r = -0.166, P < 0.01). There was a strong positive correlation between stigma and depression (r = 0.607, P < 0.01) The mediation study showed that stigma was a significant predictor of quality of life and that stigma and quality of life were mediated to some extent by depression, with the mediating effect accounting for 67.55% of the total effect. The direct path from stigma to depression is moderated by psychological resilience (ß = -0.0018, P < 0.01). Conclusions: Depression mediates the relationship between stigma and quality of life, while psychological elasticity plays a moderating role between stigma and depression, and when the level of psychological elasticity increases, the more significant the role of stigma on depression. As a physiologically and psychologically vulnerable group, patients with chronic diseases' overall quality of life and mental health should be taken more seriously, and clinical workers should pay timely attention to the psychological and mental conditions of patients with chronic diseases and provide timely and appropriate interventions and therapeutic measures. The relevant results of this study also provide a new perspective for clinical work on psychological intervention for patients with chronic diseases.

Designable immobilization of D-allulose 3-epimerase on bimetallic organic frameworks based on metal ion compatibility for enhanced D-allulose production.

D-allulose, a low-calorie rare sugar catalyzed by D-allulose 3-epimerase (DAE), is highly sought after for its potential health benefits. However, poor reusability and stability of DAE limited its popularization in industrial applications. Although metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer a promising enzyme platform for enzyme immobilization, developing customized strategies for MOF immobilization of enzymes remains challenging. In this study, we introduce a designable strategy involving the construction of bimetal-organic frameworks (ZnCo-MOF) based on metal ions compatibility. The DAE@MOFs materials were prepared and characterized, and the immobilization of DAE and the enzymatic characteristics of the MOF-immobilized DAE were subsequently evaluated. Remarkably, DAE@ZnCo-MOF exhibited superior recyclability which could maintain 95 % relative activity after 8 consecutive cycles. The storage stability is significantly improved compared to the free form, with a relative activity of 116 % remaining after 30 days. Molecular docking was also employed to investigate the interaction between DAE and the components of MOFs synthesis. The results demonstrate that the DAE@ZnCo-MOF exhibited enhanced catalytic efficiency and increased stability. This study introduces a viable and adaptable MOF-based immobilization strategy for enzymes, which holds the potential to expand the implementation of enzyme biocatalysts in a multitude of disciplines.

The Fungal Secretory Peptide Micasin Induces Itch by Activating MRGPRX1/C11/A1 on Peripheral Neurons.

Pruritus is the leading symptom of dermatophytosis. Microsporium canis is one of the predominant dermatophytes causing dermatophytosis. However, the pruritogenic agents and the related molecular mechanisms of the dermatophyte M canis remain poorly understood. In this study, the secretion of the dermatophyte M canis was found to dose-dependently evoke itch in mice. The fungal peptide micasin secreted from M canis was then identified to elicit mouse significant scratching and itching responses. The peptide micasin was further revealed to directly activate mouse dorsal root ganglia neurons to mediate the nonhistaminergic itch. Knockout and antagonistic experiments demonstrated that MRGPRX1/C11/A1 rather than MRGPRX2/b2 activated by micasin contributed to pruritus. The chimeras and single-amino acid variants of MRGPRX1 showed that 3 domains (extracellular loop 3, transmembrane helical domain 3, and transmembrane helical domain 6) and 4 hydrophobic residues (Y99, F237, L240, and W241) of MRGPRX1 played the key role in micasin-triggered MRGPRX1 activation. Our study sheds light on the dermatophytosis-associated pruritus and may provide potential therapeutic targets and strategies against pruritus caused by dermatophytes.

Predicting ischemic stroke patients' prognosis changes using machine learning in a nationwide stroke registry.

Accurately predicting the prognosis of ischemic stroke patients after discharge is crucial for physicians to plan for long-term health care. Although previous studies have demonstrated that machine learning (ML) shows reasonably accurate stroke outcome predictions with limited datasets, to identify specific clinical features associated with prognosis changes after stroke that could aid physicians and patients in devising improved recovery care plans have been challenging. This study aimed to overcome these gaps by utilizing a large national stroke registry database to assess various prediction models that estimate how patients' prognosis changes over time with associated clinical factors. To properly evaluate the best predictive approaches currently available and avoid prejudice, this study employed three different prognosis prediction models including a statistical logistic regression model, commonly used clinical-based scores, and a latest high-performance ML-based XGBoost model. The study revealed that the XGBoost model outperformed other two traditional models, achieving an AUROC of 0.929 in predicting the prognosis changes of stroke patients followed for 3 months. In addition, the XGBoost model maintained remarkably high precision even when using only selected 20 most relevant clinical features compared to full clinical datasets used in the study. These selected features closely correlated with significant changes in clinical outcomes for stroke patients and showed to be effective for predicting prognosis changes after discharge, allowing physicians to make optimal decisions regarding their patients' recovery.

Isolation and characterization of an antimicrobial Bacillus subtilis strain O-741 against Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a marine bacterium that can infect and cause the death of aquatic organisms. V. parahaemolyticus can also cause human foodborne infection via contaminated seafood, with clinical syndromes which include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and so on. Since controlling V. parahaemolyticus is important for aquaculture and human health, various strategies have been explored. This study investigates the application of antagonistic microorganisms to inhibit the growth of V. parahaemolyticus. We screened aquaculture environment samples and identified a Bacillus subtilis strain O-741 with potent antimicrobial activities. This strain showed a broad spectrum of antagonistic activities against V. parahaemolyticus and other Vibrio species. Application of the O-741 bacterium significantly increased the survival of Artemia nauplii which were infected with V. parahaemolyticus. Furthermore, the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of O-741 bacterium exhibited inhibitory ability against V. parahaemolyticus, and its activity was stable to heat, acidity, UV, enzymes, and organic solvents. Next, the O-741 CFS was extracted by ethyl acetate, and analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and the functional faction was identified as an amicoumacin A compound. The organic extracts of CFS containing amicoumacin A had bactericidal effects on V. parahaemolyticus, and the treated V. parahaemolyticus cells showed disruption of the cell membrane and formation of cell cavities. These findings indicate that B. subtilis strain O-741 can inhibit the V. parahaemolyticus in vitro and in vivo, and has potential for use as a biocontrol agent for preventing V. parahaemolyticus infection.

Combined strategies for improving the heterologous expression of a novel xylanase from Fusarium oxysporum Fo47 in Pichia pastoris.

Xylanase, an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing non-starch polysaccharides found in grain structures like wheat, has been found to improve the organizational structure of dough and thus increase its volume. In our past work, one promising xylanase FXYL derived from Fusarium oxysporum Fo47 and first expressed 779.64 U/mL activity in P. pastoris. It has shown significant potential in improving the quality of whole wheat bread, making it become a candidate for development as a new flour improver. After optimization of expression elements and gene dose, the xylanase activity of FXYL strain carrying three-copies reached 4240.92 U/mL in P. pastoris. In addition, 12 factors associated with the three stages of protein expression pathway were co-expressed individually in order in three-copies strain, and the translation factor Pab1 co-expression increased FXYL activity to 8893.53 U/mL. Nevertheless, combining the most effective or synergistic factors from three stages did not exhibit better results than co-expressing them alone. To further evaluate the industrial potential, the xylanase activity and protein concentration reached 81184.51 U/mL and 11.8 g/L in a 5 L fed-batch fermenter. These engineering strategies improved the expression of xylanase FXYL by more than 104-fold, providing valuable insights for the cost-effective industrial application of FXYL in the baking field.

Physical Fitness and Risk of Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents.

Importance: With the rising prevalence of mental disorders among children and adolescents, identifying modifiable associations is critical. Objective: To examine the association between physical fitness and mental disorder risks. Design, Setting, and Participants: This nationwide cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Student Fitness Tests and National Health Insurance Research Databases from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019. Participants were divided into 2 cohorts targeting anxiety and depression (1 996 633 participants) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 1 920 596 participants). Participants were aged 10 to 11 years at study entry and followed up for at least 3 years, had a nearly equal gender distribution, and an average follow-up of 6 years. Data were analyzed from October 2022 to February 2024. Exposures: Assessments of physical fitness included cardiorespiratory fitness (CF), muscular endurance (ME), muscular power (MP), and flexibility, measured through an 800-m run time, bent-leg curl-ups, standing broad jump, and sit-and-reach test, respectively. Main Outcomes and Measures: Kaplan-Meier method calculated the cumulative incidence of anxiety, depression, and ADHD across fitness quartiles. Additionally, multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used that included all 4 fitness components and explored sex and income as modifiers. Results: The anxiety and depression cohort had 1 996 633 participants (1 035 411 participants were male [51.9%], and the median [IQR] age was 10.6 [10.3-11.0] years), while the ADHD cohort had 1 920 596 (975 568 participants were male [51.9%], and the median [IQR] age was 10.6 [10.3-11.0] years). Cumulative incidence of mental disorders was lower among participants in better-performing fitness quartiles, suggesting a dose-dependent association. Gender-specific analyses, controlling for confounders, revealed that improved CF, indicated by a 30-second decrease in run times, was associated with reduced risks of anxiety, depression, and ADHD in female participants, and lower risks of anxiety and ADHD in male participants (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] for ADHD risk for female participants, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90-0.94; P < .001; for male participants, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.92-0.94; P < .001). Enhanced ME, marked by an increase of 5 curl-ups per minute, was associated with decreased risks of depression and ADHD in female participants, and lower anxiety and ADHD risks in male participants (aHR for ADHD risk for female participants, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.97; P < .001; for male participants, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.97; P < .001). Improved MP, reflected by a 20-cm increase in jump distance, was associated with reduced risks of anxiety and ADHD in female participants and reduced anxiety, depression, and ADHD in male participants (aHR for ADHD risk for female participants, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-1.00; P = .04; for male participants, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99; P = .001). Conclusions and Relevance: This study highlights the potential protective role of cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, and muscular power in preventing the onset of mental disorders. It warrants further investigation of the effectiveness of physical fitness programs as a preventive measure for mental disorders among children and adolescents.

Nursing students' emotions, educational concerns, and the impact of study careers and professional futures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a challenge to education systems worldwide. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education on the study careers and professional futures of nursing students. METHODS: The study was completed between March and June 2023 using a multi-stage sampling design. A total of 1126 nursing students were recruited to complete the questionnaire. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of basic characteristics of the subjects, the COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions scale, the COVID-19-related concern for education scale, and the impact of the COVID-19 on study careers and professional futures scale (SCPFI-19 S). One-way ANOVA/t-test, correlation coefficient analysis, and hierarchical linear regression analysis were used to explore factors influencing changes in study careers and professional futures, and the relationship between COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education. RESULTS: Univariate analysis of variance indicated that residence, willingness, and whether to engage in nursing after graduation were related to SCPFI-19 S (P < 0.05). COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education were significantly and positively associated with SCPFI-19 S (r = 0.566, P < 0.01; r = 0.199, P < 0.01). Stratified multiple regression analysis showed that COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education of nursing students were significant predictors of SCPFI-19 S. CONCLUSION: Overall, both COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education were significantly correlated with SCPFI-19 S. In future interventions, schools should consider structures and strategies to support students' mental health and educational trajectories during current and future epidemics or similar crises.

Targeted Overexpression of Claudin 11 in Osteoblasts Increases Trabecular Bone Mass by Stimulating Osteogenesis at the Expense of Adipogenesis in Mice.

Mice lacking Claudin11 (Cldn11) manifest reduced trabecular bone mass. However, the impact of Cldn11 expression in osteoblasts in vivo remains understudied. Herein, we generated osteoblast-specific transgenic (Tg) mice expressing Cldn11 and characterized their skeletal phenotype. Micro-CT analyses of the distal metaphysis of the femur showed a 50% and a 38% increase in trabecular bone mass in Tg male and female mice, respectively, due to a significant increase in trabecular number and a reduction in trabecular separation. Histomorphometry and serum biomarker studies uncovered that increased trabecular bone mass in Cldn11 Tg mice was the consequence of enhanced bone formation. Accordingly, an abundance of bone formation (Alp, Bsp), but not bone resorption (Ctsk), markers were augmented in the femurs of Cldn11 Tg mice. Since the trabecular bone density is known to inversely correlate with the amount of marrow adipose tissue (MAT), we measured the MAT in osmium-tetroxide-labeled bones by micro-CT scanning. We found 86% less MAT in the proximal tibia of the Tg males. Consistently, the expression levels of the adipogenic markers, adiponectin and leptin, were 50% lower in the femurs of the Tg males. Our data are consistent with the possibility that claudin11 exerts anabolic effects in osteoblastic lineage cells that act via promoting the differentiation of marrow stem cells towards osteoblasts at the expense of adipocytes.

Retraction of "Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Grown on Cellulose/GO Hydrogels as Advanced Catalytic Materials for the Heterogeneous Fenton-like Reaction".

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b00170.].

Associations of mental well-being with higher education-related stress and orientation of the academic goals among nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

To investigate the association between the mental health of nursing students, the stress of higher education, and academic goal orientation. At a medical college, 1170 nursing students volunteered for this cross-sectional survey. The Warwick-Edinburgh Well-being Scale, the Higher Education Stress Scale, and the Academic Goal Orientation Questionnaire were utilised to collect data. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were all performed to evaluate the data. The significance level for all statistical tests was p < 0.05. A total of 1126 valid samples, with a 96.23% effective recovery rate. The Higher Education Stress Scale score for nursing students was (38.31 ± 8.29), the Academic Goal Orientation Questionnaire result was (49.32 ± 9.62), and the Mental Health Scale value was (31.24 ± 14.00). Overall, there was a strong relationship between the stress associated with higher education, academic goal orientation, and the mental health of nursing students. Therefore, in future interventions, the Chinese government and its relevant educational authorities can enhance nursing students' ability to reasonably regulate stress related to higher education and set clear academic goals by adjusting the strategies for regulating nursing students' academic stress and increasing the number of academic goal-oriented courses to improve their mental health.

Relationship between self-esteem and quality of life in middle-aged and older patients with chronic diseases: mediating effects of death anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have explored the relationship between self-esteem and quality of life. However, few studies have elucidated the mechanisms underlying the relationship between self-esteem and quality of life in middle-aged and older patients with chronic diseases. The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of death anxiety in this relationship. METHODS: Middle-old-aged patients with chronic diseases were selected as the respondents by using a multi-stage sampling method, random number table method from October 2021 to February 2022 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The Cumulative Disease Rating Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale (SES), the Chinese version of the Death Anxiety Scale (CT-DAS), and the Simplified version of the Quality of Life Scale (SF-12) were used as the researching tools to conduct the survey. SPSS26.0 was used to analysis data. AMOS 23.0 software was used to construct structural equation modeling. RESULTS: 294 valid questionnaires were collected. There were significant differences in quality of life among middle-aged and elderly patients with chronic diseases who have different physical activities, socialization, and chronic pain (P < 0.01); Self-esteem was positively associated with quality of life (r = 0.330, P < 0.01), self-esteem was negatively associated with death anxiety (r = -0.222, P < 0.01), and death anxiety was negatively associated with quality of life (r = -0.263, P < 0.01); Death anxiety partially mediated the relationship between self-esteem and quality of life, with the mediating effect accounting for 18.40% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: Death anxiety partially mediates the relationship between self-esteem and quality of life. Interventions to improve self-esteem and reduce death anxiety should be used to improve the quality of life of middle-aged and senior patients with chronic diseases.

The HSP40 family chaperone isoform DNAJB6b prevents neuronal cells from tau aggregation.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder with clinical presentations of progressive cognitive and memory deterioration. The pathologic hallmarks of AD include tau neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaque depositions in the hippocampus and associated neocortex. The neuronal aggregated tau observed in AD cells suggests that the protein folding problem is a major cause of AD. J-domain-containing proteins (JDPs) are the largest family of cochaperones, which play a vital role in specifying and directing HSP70 chaperone functions. JDPs bind substrates and deliver them to HSP70. The association of JDP and HSP70 opens the substrate-binding domain of HSP70 to help the loading of the clients. However, in the initial HSP70 cycle, which JDP delivers tau to the HSP70 system in neuronal cells remains unclear. RESULTS: We screened the requirement of a diverse panel of JDPs for preventing tau aggregation in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y by a filter retardation method. Interestingly, knockdown of DNAJB6, one of the JDPs, displayed tau aggregation and overexpression of DNAJB6b, one of the isoforms generated from the DNAJB6 gene by alternative splicing, reduced tau aggregation. Further, the tau bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay confirmed the DNAJB6b-dependent tau clearance. The co-immunoprecipitation and the proximity ligation assay demonstrated the protein-protein interaction between tau and the chaperone-cochaperone complex. The J-domain of DNAJB6b was critical for preventing tau aggregation. Moreover, reduced DNAJB6 expression and increased tau aggregation were detected in an age-dependent manner in immunohistochemical analysis of the hippocampus tissues of a mouse model of tau pathology. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, downregulation of DNAJB6b increases the insoluble form of tau, while overexpression of DNAJB6b reduces tau aggregation. Moreover, DNAJB6b associates with tau. Therefore, this study reveals that DNAJB6b is a direct sensor for its client tau in the HSP70 folding system in neuronal cells, thus helping to prevent AD.

Spinal cord stimulation for visceral pain associated with medullary sponge kidney.

Chronic pain is a common reason for which people in the USA seek medical care. It is linked to opioid consumption, anxiety and a reduction in quality of life. Over the past 50 years, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has evolved as a safe and efficacious treatment for chronic pain etiologies. The authors present the first known case of SCS for pain due to medullary sponge kidney disease. This report adds to the growing body of literature supporting the use of SCS for treating visceral organ pain, while also highlighting the utility of ventral lead placement for treating visceral pain. As SCS utilization increases, it is expected that there will be a decrease in opioid consumption, and this will help us contain the opioid epidemic.

Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons that people in the USA seek medical care. It is associated with an increased reliance on opioids, anxiety, depression and a lower quality of life. Over the past 50 years, a treatment modality known as spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has emerged and evolved. Based on evidence, SCS has shown promising results in treating chronic pain related to different causes and has also led to an improvement in the quality of life in those suffering from pain. In this case report, the authors present a case of a patient with chronic pain due to recurrent kidney stones secondary to their hereditary kidney disease, and who responded well to treatment with SCS. The patient self-reported almost 80% pain relief after undergoing treatment with SCS as well as an improved quality of life, based on their ability to engage in their daily professional and leisurely activities without being so restricted by pain from their recurrent kidney stones. This case report adds to the growing body of literature that underscores the utility of SCS in treating a variety of pain mediated pathologies. As SCS continues to show promising results, we hope that SCS usage to target pain will increase, and this will lead to a decrease in opioid prescriptions and help curb the opioid epidemic.

Compounds targeting ferroptosis in breast cancer: progress and their therapeutic potential.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of Breast cancer (BC), making it the most common cancer among women and a major threat to women's health. Consequently, there is an urgent need to discover new and effective strategies for treating BC. Ferroptosis, a novel form of cell death characterized by the accumulation of iron-dependent lipid reactive oxygen species, has emerged as a distinct regulatory pathway separate from necrosis, apoptosis, and autophagy. It is widely recognized as a crucial factor in the development and progression of cancer, offering a promising avenue for BC treatment. While significant progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms of ferroptosis in BC, drug development is still in its early stages. Numerous compounds, including phytochemicals derived from dietary sources and medicinal plants, as well as synthetic drugs (both clinically approved medications and laboratory reagents), have shown the ability to induce ferroptosis in BC cells, effectively inhibiting tumor growth. This comprehensive review aims to examine in detail the compounds that target ferroptosis in BC and elucidate their potential mechanisms of action. Additionally, the challenges associated with the clinical application of ferroptosis-inducing drugs are discussed, offering valuable insights for the development of novel treatment strategies for BC.

Important findings of a technology-assisted in-home music-based intervention for individuals with stroke: a small feasibility study.

PURPOSE: To examine the feasibility of stroke survivors receiving music-based rehabilitation via a mobile app. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited ten chronic stroke survivors who were community-dwelling with mild-moderate upper extremity (UE) paresis. Participants were encouraged to exercise their paretic UE with a commercial instrument training app, Yousician, with a piano keyboard at home for three weeks. The feasibility of the training was measured by: (a) the acceptance of using the app to receive in-home piano training (e.g., daily usage time, exit interview) and (b) the effects of the app functionality as a rehabilitation tool (e.g., participants' motor improvements after training). RESULTS: Our small sample size of participants demonstrated general positive feedback and self-motivation (e.g., interest in extended training time) about using a mobile app to receive in-home, music-based UE training. Participants showed no trend of declined usage and practiced on average ∼33 min per day for 4-5 days per week during the 3-week participation. We also observed positive results in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Action Research Arm Test, and Nine Hole Peg Test after training. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided insight into the feasibility of delivering music-based interventions through mobile health (mHealth) technology for stroke populations. Although this was a small sample size, participants' positive and negative comments and feedback provided useful information for future rehab app development. We suggest four ways to further improve and design a patient-oriented app to facilitate the use of a mHealth app to deliver in-home music-based interventions for stroke survivors.

Stroke survivors showed acceptance and positive feedback on receiving in-home music-based training via a mobile app.mHealth technologies may allow positive effects of music-based interventions in motor performance and home practice compliance.Further developments in the co-design process with patients, caregivers, and therapists are needed to design a patient-oriented app to deliver better in-home music-based interventions for stroke survivors.

The Effects of Partial Substitution of Fertilizer Using Different Organic Materials on Soil Nutrient Condition, Aggregate Stability and Enzyme Activity in a Tea Plantation.

Fertilization plays a crucial role in enhancing tea production. However, it has been demonstrated that the long-term single application of chemical fertilizer will reduce soil nutrient content and the formation of soil aggregates, which is not conducive to the sustainable development of soil and agriculture. Many studies have shown that partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer can improve soil physicochemical properties and soil nutrient content. This study compared the effects of different organic materials as substitutes for chemical fertilizer. We partially replaced chemical fertilizer with rabbit manure, wine lees and rapeseed cake, amounting to 30% of the total annual nitrogen application in the field experiment, and we set nine different fertilization methods to assess and analyze the soil nutrient condition, aggregate stability and enzyme activity. The results showed that the experimental soil aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD) were significantly increased compared with control (p < 0.05); the aforementioned fertilization methods also decreased the soil aggregate fractal dimension (D), disruption rate (PAD), average weight-specific surface area (MWSSA) and soil erodibility factor (K). The application of the fertilizer containing organic materials and microbial agent increased soil organic carbon (SOC) by 20.7% to 22.6% and total nitrogen (TN) by 34.6% to 38.1%; it also significantly promoted sucrase, urease and protease activities in all aggregate sizes (p < 0.05) and increased the 2-5 mm aggregate content. The correlation coefficients between the SOC and the enzyme activities were 0.18-0.95, and most of them showed an extremely significant positive correlation (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the application of fertilizers containing organic materials and microbial agents can improve soil aggregate stability, aggregate enzyme activity and soil structural stability.