The Risk Factors of Postpartum Urinary Retention for Women by Vaginal Birth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Postpartum urinary retention is one of the most common complications in women during the immediate postpartum period. The objective was to systematically assess risk factors for postpartum urinary retention after vaginal delivery. METHODS: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, we retrieved relevant studies from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, China National Knowledge Internet, Wangfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Database for observational studies investigating the risk factors for postpartum urinary retention from inception to 11 November 2022. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Joanna Briggs Institute's tool were used to assess the risk of bias. We conducted a meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: In total, 3,074 articles were screened and data from 27 studies were used in the meta-analysis. Sixteen risk factors were identified, namely, labor augmentation (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.17-2.51), primiparity (OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.64-3.38), manual fundal pressure (OR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.00-8.11), perineal hematoma (OR = 7.28, 95% CI = 1.62-32.72), vulvar edema (OR = 7.99, 95% CI = 5.50-11.63), the total duration of labor (MD = 90.10, 95% CI = 49.11-131.08), the duration of the first stage of labor (MD = 33.97, 95% CI = 10.28-57.65), the duration of the second stage of labor (MD = 14.92, 95% CI = 11.79-18.05), the duration of the second stage of labor > 60 min (OR = 3.18, 95% CI = 1.32-7.67), mediolateral episiotomy (OR = 3.65, 95% CI = 1.70-7.83), severe perineal tear (OR = 3.21, 95% CI = 1.84-5.61), epidural analgesia (OR = 3.23, 95% CI = 1.50-6.96), forceps delivery (OR = 4.95, 95% CI = 2.88-8.51), vacuum delivery (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.30-4.58), neonatal birth weight > 4,000 g (OR = 3.61, 95% CI = 1.96-6.65), and neonatal birth weight > 3,500 g (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.12-3.19). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that labor augmentation, primiparity, manual fundal pressure, perineal hematoma, vulvar edema, the total duration of labor, the duration of the first stage of labor, the duration of the second stage of labor, the duration of the second stage of labor > 60 min, mediolateral episiotomy, severe perineal tear, epidural analgesia, forceps delivery, vacuum delivery, and neonatal birth weight > 4,000 g and > 3,500 g were risk factors for postpartum urinary retention in women with vaginal delivery. The specific ranges of the first and the second stages of labor causing postpartum urinary retention need to be clarified.

Bio-Sourced, High-Performance Carbon Fiber Reinforced Itaconic Acid-Based Epoxy Composites with High Hygrothermal Stability and Durability.

Thermosetting polymers and composites are a class of high-performance materials with significant industrial applications. However, the widespread use of thermosets and their composites generates large quantities of waste and leads to serious economic and environmental problems, there is a critical need in the elaboration of sustainable composite materials. Here, we propose a method to prepare sustainable carbon fiber reinforced composites with different degrees of greenness by blending environmentally friendly EIA with DGEBA in different ratios, and the properties compared with a well-known commercial petroleum-based epoxy resin. The prepared carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with different degrees of greenness had excellent dimensional stability under extreme hygrothermal aging. After aging, the green CFRP composite T700/EIA-30 has higher strength and performance retention than that of petroleum-based CFRP composites. The higher hygrothermal stability and durability of EIA-based epoxy resins as compared with BPA-based epoxy resins demonstrated significant evidence to design and develop a novel bio-based epoxy resin with high performance to substitute the petroleum-based epoxy resin.

Hepatocyte-specific HDAC3 ablation promotes hepatocellular carcinoma in females by suppressing Foxa1/2.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer, prevails mainly in males and has long been attributed to androgens and higher circumstantial levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) produced by resident hepatic macrophages. METHODS: Constitutively hepatocyte-specific histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3)-deficient (HDAC3LCKO) mice and constitutively hepatocyte-specific HDAC3 knockout and systemic IL-6 simultaneously ablated (HDAC3LCKO& IL-6-/-) mice were used in our study to explore the causes of sex differences in HCC. Additionally, we performed human HCC tissues with an IHC score. Correlation analysis and linear regression plots were constructed to reveal the association between HDAC3 and its candidate genes. To further elucidate that HDAC3 controls the expression of Foxa1/2, we knocked down HDAC3 in HUH7 liver cancer cells. RESULTS: We observed a contrary sex disparity, with an earlier onset and higher incidence of HCC in female mice when HDAC3 was selectively ablated in the liver. Loss of HDAC3 led to constant liver injury and the spontaneous development of HCC. Unlike the significant elevation of IL-6 in male mice at a very early age, female mice exhibit stable IL-6 levels, and IL-6 ablation did not eliminate the sex disparity in hepatocarcinogenesis in HDAC3-deficient mice. Oestrogen often protects the liver when combined with oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα); however, ovariectomy in HDAC3-ablated female mice significantly delayed tumourigenesis. The oestrogen-ERα axis can also play a role in tumour promotion in the absence of Foxa1 and Foxa2 in the receptor complex. Loss of HDAC3 profoundly reduced the expression of both Foxa1 and Foxa2 and impaired the binding between Foxa1/2 and ERα. Furthermore, a more frequent HDAC3 decrease accompanied by the simultaneous Foxa1/2 decline was found in female HCC compared to that in male HCC. CONCLUSION: In summary, we reported that loss of HDAC3 reduces Foxa1/2 and thus promotes HCC development in females in an oestrogen-dependent manner.

Associations of lifestyle with mental health and well-being in Chinese adults: a nationwide study.

Background: A healthy lifestyle is beneficial to individuals' health. However, little is known about the associations of lifestyle factors with mental health and well-being. This study examined the associations of lifestyle factors with mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, loneliness, perceived pressure, and self-rated health status) and well-being in Chinese adults. Methods: A nationally representative survey was conducted in China from 20 June 2022 to 31 August 2022. Data from the survey were analyzed using multiple linear regression to determine the associations of lifestyle with mental health and well-being in Chinese adults. Standardized regression coefficients (ß) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multiple linear regression. Results: The survey included 28,138 Chinese adults. Multiple linear regression results showed that there were significant negative associations of lifestyle scores with scores of depression (ß = -0.93, 95% CI: -0.98, -0.88), anxiety (ß = -0.71, 95% CI: -0.76, -0.67), loneliness (ß = -0.23, 95% CI: -0.24, -0.21), and perceived pressure (ß = -0.19, 95% CI: -0.22, -0.16). Moreover, there were significant positive associations of lifestyle with self-rated health status (ß = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.79, 2.20) and well-being (ß = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.02). Conclusion: This study provides insight into the associations of lifestyle factors with mental health and well-being and highlights the importance of improving and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors for favorable mental health and well-being.

Synchronous Improvement of Mechanical and Damping Properties of Structural Damping Composites with Polyetherimide Non-Woven Fabric Interlayers Loaded with Polydopamine and Carbon Nanotubes.

Structural damping composites exhibit considerable potential in aerospace and other fields due to their excellent damping and vibration reduction performance, as well as their structural carrying capacity. However, conventional structural damping composite materials generally do not combine excellent mechanical and damping properties at the same time, which makes it difficult for them to meet the practical demand in engineering. In this paper, polyetherimide (PEI) non-woven fabric interlayer materials loaded with quantified polydopamine (PDA) and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH) were used to prepare carbon fiber-reinforced bismaleimide composites through the co-curing process. The mechanical and damping properties of the composites were systematically studied. The results demonstrate that PEI non-woven fabric interlayers loaded with PDA and MWCNTs-COOH can synchronously improve the mechanical and damping properties of the co-cured composites. The incorporation of carbon nanotubes and polydopamine during the co-curing process synergistically improves the flexural strength, flexural modulus, interlaminar shear strength, and impact fracture toughness of the composites. Most importantly, damping properties show an increase of 45.0% in the loss factor of the co-cured composites. Moreover, the reinforcement mechanism was investigated using the optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, which indicated that the PEI interlayers loaded with carbon nanotubes and polydopamine form a rich resin area between the layers of the composites.

Effect of Strain Rate on Tensile Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Laminates with Different Stacking Sequences and Ply Orientations.

In practical application situations, a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) is often subjected to complex dynamic loadings. The effect of the strain rate on mechanical properties is very important for the CFRP design and product development. In this work, static and dynamic tensile properties of CFRP with different stacking sequences and ply orientations were investigated. The results showed that the tensile strengths of CFRP laminates were sensitive to the strain rate, while Young's modulus was independent of the strain rate. Moreover, the strain rate effect was related to the stacking sequences and ply orientations. The experimental results showed that the strain rate effects of the cross-ply laminates and quasi-isotropic-ply laminates were lower than that of the unidirectional-ply laminates. Finally, the failure modes of CFRP laminates were investigated. Failure morphology demonstrated that the differences in strain rate effects among cross-ply laminates, quasi-isotropic-ply laminates, and unidirectional-ply laminates were caused by the mismatch between the fiber and the matrix when the strain rate increased.

Mechanical Properties of Weld Lines in Injection-Molded Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Nylon (PA-CF) Composites.

Weld lines are a common defect generated in injection molding, which apparently affects the performance of final products, but the available reports on carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics are still rather few. In this study, the effects of injection temperature, injection pressure, and fiber content on the mechanical properties of weld lines were studied for carbon fiber-reinforced nylon (PA-CF) composites. The weld line coefficient was also calculated by comparing specimens with and without weld lines. The tensile and flexural properties of PA-CF composites significantly increased with the rise of fiber content for specimens without weld lines, while injection temperature and pressure demonstrated slight influences on mechanical properties. However, the existence of weld lines had negative influences on the mechanical properties of PA-CF composites due to poor fiber orientation in weld line regions. The weld line coefficient of PA-CF composites decreased as fiber content increased, indicating that the damage of weld lines to mechanical properties increased. The microstructure analysis showed that there were a large number of fibers distributed vertically to flow direction in weld lines regions, which could not play a reinforcing role. In addition, increasing injection temperature and pressure facilitated fiber orientation, which improved the mechanical properties of composites with low fiber content, while weakening composites with high fiber content instead. This article provides practical information for product design containing weld lines, which helps to optimize the forming process and formula design of PA-CF composites with weld lines.

Glutamine synthetase-negative hepatocellular carcinoma has better prognosis and response to sorafenib treatment after hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Glutamine synthetase (GS) and arginase 1 (Arg1) are widely used pathological markers that discriminate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; however, their clinical significance in HCC remains unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 431 HCC patients: 251 received hepatectomy alone, and the other 180 received sorafenib as adjuvant treatment after hepatectomy. Expression of GS and Arg1 in tumor specimens was evaluated using immunostaining. mRNA sequencing and immunostaining to detect progenitor markers (cytokeratin 19 [CK19] and epithelial cell adhesion molecule [EpCAM]) and mutant TP53 were also conducted. RESULTS: Up to 72.4% (312/431) of HCC tumors were GS positive (GS+). Of the patients receiving hepatectomy alone, GS negative (GS-) patients had significantly better overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) than GS+ patients; negative expression of Arg1, which is exclusively expressed in GS- hepatocytes in the healthy liver, had a negative effect on prognosis. Of the patients with a high risk of recurrence who received additional sorafenib treatment, GS- patients tended to have better RFS than GS+ patients, regardless of the expression status of Arg1. GS+ HCC tumors exhibit many features of the established proliferation molecular stratification subtype, including poor differentiation, high alpha-fetoprotein levels, increased progenitor tumor cells, TP53 mutation, and upregulation of multiple tumor-related signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: GS- HCC patients have a better prognosis and are more likely to benefit from sorafenib treatment after hepatectomy. Immunostaining of GS may provide a simple and applicable approach for HCC molecular stratification to predict prognosis and guide targeted therapy.

Ionic Liquids Facilitate the Dispersion of Branched Polyethylenimine Grafted ZIF-8 for Reinforced Epoxy Composites.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been previously shown as an emerging modified class of epoxy resin. In this work, we report a simple strategy for preventing zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) nanoparticles from agglomerating in epoxy resin (EP). Branched polyethylenimine grafted ZIF-8 in ionic liquid (BPEI-ZIF-8) nanofluid with good dispersion was prepared successfully using an ionic liquid as both the dispersant and curing agent. Results indicated that the thermogravimetric curve of the composite material had no noticeable change with increasing BPEI-ZIF-8/IL content. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the epoxy composite was reduced with the addition of BPEI-ZIF-8/IL. The addition of 2 wt% BPEI-ZIF-8/IL into EP effectively improved the flexural strength to about 21.7%, and the inclusion of 0.5 wt% of BPEI-ZIF-8/IL EP composites increased the impact strength by about 83% compared to pure EP. The effect of adding BPEI-ZIF-8/IL on the Tg of epoxy resin was explored, and its toughening mechanism was analyzed in combination with SEM images showing fractures in the EP composites. Moreover, the damping and dielectric properties of the composites were improved by adding BPEI-ZIF-8/IL.

Increased Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier-Activating Enzyme SAE1 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Enhancing mTOR SUMOylation.

SUMOylation, one of the most important posttranslational modifications of proteins, plays an essential role in various biological processes; however, enzymes that control SUMOylation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unclear. Comprehensive exploration of the expression and clinical significance of SUMO enzymes in HCC would be of great value. Here, we obtained the gene expression profile of each small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein and the corresponding clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We found that all SUMO enzymes were significantly increased in HCC tissues compared with that in adjacent nontumorous tissues. We identified a 6-gene prognostic signature, including SAE1, PIAS2, PIAS3, SENP3, SENP5, and UBC9, that could effectively predict the overall survival in patients with HCC. Specifically, SAE1 was the most valuable prognostic indicator. In 282 clinical samples, we found that SAE1 was closely related to the clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis of patients with HCC. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that SAE1 knockdown inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Mechanistically, we confirmed that SAE1 plays a role in driving HCC progression, which is largely dependent on the SUMOylation of mTOR signaling. In conclusion, our study revealed that the expression of SUMO enzymes, especially SAE1, is highly associated with HCC development and acts as a promising prognostic predictor.

Repurchase intentions of new e-commerce users in the COVID-19 context: The mediation role of brand love.

The use of e-commerce has exploded due to the impact of COVID-19. People with no experience in e-commerce prior to the COVID-19 pandemic began online shopping for their safety following the pandemic outbreak. As such, these newly joined customers have played a vital role in the rapid development of e-commerce. Maintaining these customers and increasing their repurchase intention is a core issue for e-commerce platform companies. Thus, using new e-commerce users as the participants, this study investigated the structural relationship between brand experience, brand emotional factors (brand attachment and brand love), brand loyalty, and repurchase intention with brand love as the mediator. Research on the multidimensional brand experience (i.e., sensory, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive) from Chinese customers' perspective is still lacking, and our study attempts to fill this gap. A structured questionnaire and hypotheses were designed based on studies and survey of 310 respondents from China in this study. The study results show that, first, the four dimensions of brand experience have a significant positive correlation with brand emotion, with brand cognitive experience having the greatest impact on consumer brand emotion. Second, the influence of brand emotion on brand loyalty is positive and significant, and brand attachment has a stronger influence than brand love on brand loyalty. In addition, brand loyalty has a positive effect on repurchase intention. Finally, brand love plays a mediating role on the relationship between brand attachment and brand loyalty. To enhance customers' brand attachment and love for e-commerce platforms, companies must enhance customers' interest and curiosity in their products. And companies will improve their services to customers by introducing artificial intelligence algorithms to increase customers' repurchase intention, which will ultimately increasing their profitability. This study contributes to the development of e-commerce platform companies.

Resolving Charge Distribution for Compositionally Heterogeneous Battery Cathode Materials.

The isostructural nature of Li-layered cathodes allows for accommodating multiple transition metals (TMs). However, little is known about how the local TM stoichiometry influences the charging behavior of battery particles thus impacting battery performance. Here, we develop heterogeneous compositional distributions in polycrystalline LiNi1-x-yMnxCoyO2 (NMC) particles to investigate the interplay between local stoichiometry and charge distribution. These NMC particles exhibit a broad, continuous distribution of local Ni/Mn/Co stoichiometry, which does not compromise the global layeredness. The local Mn and Ni concentrations in individual NMC particles are positively and negatively correlated with the electrochemically induced Ni oxidation, respectively, whereas the Co concentration does not impose a clear effect on the Ni oxidation. The resulting material delivers excellent reversible capacity, rate capability, and cycle life at high operating voltages. Engineering Ni/Mn/Co distribution in NMC particles may provide a path toward controlling the charge distribution and thus chemomechanical properties of polycrystalline battery particles.

Loss of Numb promotes hepatic progenitor expansion and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by enhancing Notch signaling.

Numb, a stem cell fate determinant, acts as a tumor suppressor and is closely related to a wide variety of malignancies. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) originates from hepatic progenitors (HPCs); however, the role of Numb in HPC malignant transformation and iCCA development is still unclear. A retrospective cohort study indicated that Numb was frequently decreased in tumor tissues and suggests poor prognosis in iCCA patients. Consistently, in a chemically induced iCCA mouse model, Numb was downregulated in tumor cells compared to normal cholangiocytes. In diet-induced chronic liver injury mouse models, Numb ablation significantly promoted histological impairment, HPC expansion, and tumorigenesis. Similarly, Numb silencing in cultured iCCA cells enhanced cell spheroid growth, invasion, metastasis, and the expression of stem cell markers. Mechanistically, Numb was found to bind to the Notch intracellular domain (NICD), and Numb ablation promoted Notch signaling; this effect was reversed when Notch signaling was blocked by γ-secretase inhibitor treatment. Our results suggested that loss of Numb plays an important role in promoting HPC expansion, HPC malignant transformation, and, ultimately, iCCA development in chronically injured livers. Therapies targeting suppressed Numb are promising for the treatment of iCCA.

Contemplation-action-maintenance model of behaviour change for persons with coronary heart disease: A qualitative study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore factors of health behaviour maintenance from the perspective of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. BACKGROUND: The majority of CHD patients do not achieve appropriate theory-based intervention to maintain health behaviours. Previous health behaviour change theories give little importance to behaviour maintenance. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study. METHODS: Thirty CHD patients were recruited purposively and interviewed from four hospitals in Beijing, China, during January 2017-August 2019. Data were analysed using template analysis methods. The COREQ checklist was used. RESULTS: Perceived enjoyment and perceived effectiveness from the newly adopted behaviours emerged as vital factors for maintaining health behaviour; contemplation-action-maintenance (CAM) model to explain the behaviour change and maintenance of CHD patients was constructed. CONCLUSIONS: The CAM model provides insight into the factors of health behaviour action and maintenance among CHD patients. Professionals can develop interventions from the perspective of patients' experiences to promote maintenance of behaviour. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Professionals need to consider that the goal of behavioural intervention should initially and continuously target patients' perseverance. Interventions of health behaviour that bring enjoyment may aid long-term maintenance. Also, healthcare providers can enhance patients' perception of effectiveness to motivate their behaviour maintenance in lifestyle change programmes.

Posaconazole aggravates vincristine-related hypertension in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a case report.

Vincristine-related secondary hypertension is rare. This study reports two children who were treated with vincristine for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and posaconazole for fungal infections who experienced vincristine-related secondary hypertension. Blood pressure normalized in both children after halting the drugs and providing antihypertensive treatment. Thus, posaconazole can interact with vincristine and induce secondary hypertension in children with ALL. As an adverse event, this interaction is a rare occurrence.

Heme oxygenase-1 enhances autophagy by modulating the AMPK/mTORC1 signaling pathway as a renoprotective mechanism to mitigate lead-induced nephrotoxicity.

Lead (Pb), a highly poisonous heavy metal and an important occupational hazard, is currently a widespread environmental pollutant. The kidney is especially susceptible to the toxic effects of Pb because of its major role in Pb excretion. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an inducible antioxidant enzyme that can mitigate cellular injury. However, its role in Pb-elicited nephrotoxicity remains uncertain. This study was designed to examine the role of HO-1 in lead acetate (PbAc)-induced renal tubular cell injury in vitro. PbAc injury was found to suppress HO-1 expression and impair cell viability, with concomitant depletion of the autophagy proteins LC3-II and Beclin 1. Overexpression of HO-1 dramatically restored autophagy and protected cells against PbAc-induced apoptosis. In addition, pretreatment with 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, aggravated apoptosis and abolished renoprotection by HO-1, suggesting that the anti-apoptotic effect of HO-1 in Pb-induced nephrotoxicity is dependent on enhanced autophagy. Furthermore, HO-1 overexpression abrogated the inhibitory effect of PbAc on the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1) signaling pathway. Pretreatment with an AMPK agonist, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-ß-D ribofuranoside, markedly enhanced autophagic activity and diminished apoptosis. Conversely, inhibition of AMPK phosphorylation abolished the pro-autophagic and anti-apoptotic effects of HO-1 in PbAc-injured cells. Our findings suggest that HO-1 alleviates Pb-induced nephrotoxicity via enhanced autophagy, which involves activation of the AMPK/mTORC1 signaling pathway.

Melanocortin 5 receptor signaling pathway in health and disease.

Melanocortin hormone system plays a key role in maintaining the homeostasis of our body via their neuro-immune-endocrine activities and regulates a diverse array of physiological functions, including melanogenesis, inflammation, immunomodulation, adrenocortical steroidogenesis, hemodynamics, natriuresis, energy homeostasis, sexual function, and exocrine secretion. The pathobiologic actions of all melanocortins are conveyed by melanocortin receptors. As the last melanocortin receptor to be cloned and characterized, melanocortin receptor 5 (MC5R) is widely expressed in both central nervous system and a number of peripheral organ systems in man. However, the exact effect of the MC5R mediated melanocortinergic signaling remains largely uncertain. Owing to the recent advances in developing highly selective peptidomimetic agonists and antagonists of MC5R and also to studies in MC5R knockout animals, our understanding of MC5R pathobiology has been greatly expanded and strengthened. Evidence suggests that MC5R plays a key role in governing immune reaction and inflammatory response, and is pivotal for the regulation of sexual behavior, thermoregulation, and exocrine secretion, like sebogenesis, lacrimal secretion and release of sex pheromones. As such, recent translational efforts have focused on developing novel sebum-suppressive therapies for seborrhoea and acne vulgaris based on antagonizing MC5R. Conversely, selective MC5R agonists have demonstrated promising beneficial effects in immune-mediated diseases, metabolic endocrinopathies and other disease conditions, such as glomerular diseases and dry eyes, skin and mouth. Thus, MC5R-mediated signaling is essential for health. Therapeutic targeting of MC5R represents a promising and pragmatic therapeutic strategy for diverse diseases. This review article delineates the biophysiology of MC5R-mediated biophysiology of the melanocortin hormone system, discusses the existing data on MC5R-targeted therapy in experimental disease models, and envisages the translational potential for treating human diseases.

Distinct Surface and Bulk Thermal Behaviors of LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 Cathode Materials as a Function of State of Charge.

Understanding how structural and chemical transformations take place in particles under thermal conditions can inform designing thermally robust electrode materials. Such a study necessitates the use of diagnostic techniques that are capable of probing the transformations at multiple length scales and at different states of charge (SOC). In this study, the thermal behavior of LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC-622) was examined as a function of SOC, using an array of bulk and surface-sensitive techniques. In general, thermal stability decreases as lithium content is lowered and conversion in the bulk to progressively reduced metal oxides (spinels, rock salt) occurs as the temperature is raised. Hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray Raman spectroscopy (XRS) experiments, which probe the bulk, reveal that Ni and Co are eventually reduced when partially delithiated samples (regardless of the SOC) are heated, although Mn is not. Surface-sensitive synchrotron techniques, such as soft XAS and transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM), however, reveal that for 50% delithiated samples, apparent oxidation of nickel occurs at particle surfaces under some circumstances. This is partially compensated by reduction of cobalt but may also be a consequence of redistribution of lithium ions upon heating. TXM results indicate the movement of reduced nickel ions into particle interiors or oxidized nickel ions to the surface or both. These experiments illustrate the complexity of the thermal behavior of NMC cathode materials. The study also informs the importance of investigating the surface and bulk difference as a function of SOC when studying the thermal behaviors of battery materials.

Role and mechanism of PTEN in Burkitt's lymphoma.

The aim of the present study was to explore the possible mechanisms of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in the pathogenesis of Burkitt's lymphoma, and provide novel information that can be used in the targeted treatment of this disease. PTEN lentiviral overexpression vector and short­hairpin PTEN silencing vectors were constructed. The effect of PTEN on the growth and proliferation of CA46 and RAJI cells was analyzed using a Cell Counting Kit­8 assay. Apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide double staining. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle. A Transwell chamber was used to detect cell migration and invasion abilities. Western blot analysis was used to detect related protein changes. The mechanism of the effect of PTEN on the biological characteristics of Burkitt's lymphoma cells was subsequently analyzed. The results revealed that PTEN inhibited the proliferation of CA46 and RAJI cells by downregulating the expression of p­AKT, It was indicated that the upregulation of proapoptotic proteins (including Bad and Bax) induced apoptosis, regulated cyclin (including P53, P21, CDK4, CDK6, cyclin D3 and cyclin H) to inhibit cell cycle progression, and mediated epithelial­mesenchymal transition­like cell markers (including E­cadherin, N­cadherin, ß­catenin, TCF­8, vimentin, Slug and Snail) to inhibit cell migration and invasion. In conclusion, the tumor­suppressor gene PTEN inhibited the phosphoinositide 3­kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway and inhibited the proliferation and migration of Burkitt's lymphoma cells, induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, thus playing a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Burkitt's lymphoma.

An audio-visual review model enhanced one-year retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills and knowledge: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: As the majority of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occur at patients' homes, implementing high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation by family members is critical in improving patient outcomes. However, the survival rate remains low due to low bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation rate and rapid skill deterioration in individuals who complete the training. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of audio-visual review model and audio-visual-practice review model on cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill retention 12 months after training. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, and three-arm parallel study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 641 family members of patients at high risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest enrolled in the study and 448 participants completed the follow-up. METHODS: Family members from Beijing, China were recruited. All families underwent initial cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. Their cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill and knowledge were assessed immediately after training. Trainees who were rated "adequate skill and knowledge" were assigned randomly into one of three groups. The control group was given a cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction booklet and a placebo-DVD without any reminders. Both audio-visual and audio-visual-practice groups were reinforced by a telephone reminder every 3 months. The audio-visual-practice group was also asked to simultaneously practice the skills while watching the instructional-DVD. The trainees' cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills and knowledge were re-assessed 12 months after training. RESULTS: The retention rates of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills in both audio-visual-practice (N = 177) and audio-visual (N = 157) groups were higher than that in control group (N = 114) 12 months after training (all P-values  < 0.001). The cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill retention rate in audio-visual-practice group was higher than that in audio-visual group (49.7% vs 36.9%, P = 0.019), but no difference was found in intention-to-treat analysis (32.1% vs 27.1%, P = 0.230). Both audio-visual-practice and audio-visual groups had higher correct rates on all skill elements than that in control group (all P-values < 0.05). The cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge scores in both audio-visual-practice and audio-visual groups were higher than that in control group (all P-values < 0.001). However, no significant difference was found between audio-visual-practice and audio-visual groups (P = 0.243). CONCLUSIONS: Both audio-visual-practice and audio-visual review models demonstrated better long-term retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills for families of people at higher risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. (Registration number: chiCTR-TRC-12002149).