miR-101a-3p/ROCK2 axis regulates neuronal injury in Parkinson's disease models.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). This study focuses on deciphering the role of microRNA (miR)-101a-3p in the neuronal injury of PD and its regulatory mechanism. METHODS: We constructed a mouse model of PD by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl 4-phenyl 1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride (MPTP), and used 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) to treat Neuro-2a cells to construct an in-vitro PD model. Neurological dysfunction in mice was evaluated by swimming test and traction test. qRT-PCR was utilized to examine miR-101a-3p expression and ROCK2 expression in mouse brain tissues and Neuro-2a cells. Western blot was conducted to detect the expression of α-synuclein protein and ROCK2 in mouse brain tissues and Neuro-2a cells. The targeting relationship between miR-101a-3p and ROCK2 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The apoptosis of neuro-2a cells was assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Low miR-101a-3p expression and high ROCK2 expression were found in the brain tissues of PD mice and MPP+-treated Neuro-2a cells; PD mice showed decreased neurological disorders, and apoptosis of Neuro-2a cells was increased after MPP+ treatment, both of which were accompanied by increased accumulation of α-synuclein protein. After miR-101a-3p was overexpressed, the neurological function of PD mice was improved, and the apoptosis of Neuro-2a cells induced by MPP+ was alleviated, and the accumulation of α-synuclein protein was reduced; ROCK2 overexpression counteracted the protective effect of miR-101a-3p. Additionally, ROCK2 was identified as the direct target of miR-101a-3p. CONCLUSION: MiR-101a-3p can reduce neuronal apoptosis and neurological deficit in PD mice by inhibiting ROCK2 expression, suggesting that miR-101a-3p is a promising therapeutic target for PD.

Probing the geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements in the weathering profile of yttrium-rich heavy rare earth mine.

Understanding the complex geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements (REEs) in the weathering profile of ion-adsorbed rare earth ore is a crucial issue for establishing the best leaching agent dosage during in-situ leaching processes. This study focuses on soil samples collected from nine drill holes located at three hillslopes of a mining area in southwest Fujian. Analyzing the geochemical features of REEs revealed that the ore predominantly comprises Y, La, Ce, and Nd, with Y being the most abundant, constituting 20.24 %-33.64 % of total rare earth elements (TREEs) in each weathering profile. This categorizes the ore as an yttrium-rich heavy rare earth ion-adsorbed mine. Notably, REEs exhibit a concentration in the middle layer of the weathering profile, with content increasing first and then declining with deeper depth from the surface to the bottom. The ratio of light rare earth elements (LREEs) to heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) diminishes noticeably from shallow soil to middle soil, while deep soil reveals a slightly higher ratio than middle soil. These findings offer valuable insights into the scientific mining of this area and similar ion-adsorbed rare earth mines concerning their economic potential.

Genetically predicted type 2 diabetes mellitus mediates the causal association between plasma uric acid and ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: This study conducts a systematic investigation into the causal relationships between plasma uric acid levels and subtypes of ischemic stroke (IS), as well as the extent to which Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mediates this relationship. BACKGROUND: There is a known association between Uric acid and IS but whether they have a causal relationship remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether a genetic predisposition to uric acid is causally linked to IS, including three subtypes, and to determine the mediating role of T2DM. METHODS: Bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses was initially used to explore the causal relationship between uric acid and three subtypes of IS. Two-step MR methods were then used to investigate the role of T2DM in mediating the effect of uric acid and IS with its subtypes. RESULTS: A primary analysis showed uric acid had a markedly causal association with IS (IVW, OR 1.23; 95 % CI, 1.13 - 1.34; p = 6.39 × 10-9), and two subtypes of IS, Large-vessel atherosclerotic stroke LAS (IVW, OR 1.25; 95 % CI, 1.03 - 1.53; p = 0.026) and small vessel stroke (SVS) (IVW, OR 1.20; 95 % CI, 1.00 - 1.43; p = 0.049), but not with cardioembolic stroke (CES)(IVW, OR 1.00; 95 % CI, 0.87 - 1.15; p = 0.993). Two-step MR results showed that T2DM mediated the association between uric acid and LAS and SVS, accounting for 13.85 % (p = 0.025) and 13.57 % (p = 0.028), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that genetic predisposition to uric acid is linked to a greater risk of IS, especially LAS and SVS. T2DM might mediate a significant proportion of the associations between uric acid and LAS as well as SVS.

Clinical efficacy of Femoral Neck System for treatment of unstable femoral neck fractures in young adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the mid-term clinical efficacy of the Femoral Neck System (FNS) (DePuy Synthes, Zuchwil, Switzerland) in treating young patients with unstable Pauwels type III femoral neck fractures. METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational analysis of 21 young adults treated with the FNS. Clinical outcomes were assessed based on fracture reduction quality, Harris hip scores, and postoperative complication rates. RESULTS: The study comprised 21 patients with a mean age of 35 years (range, 20-50 years) who were followed for a mean duration of 22.8 months (range, 16-30 months). Closed reduction was unfeasible in three (14.3%) patients, each of whom required open reduction. Notable postoperative complications were avascular necrosis in two (9.5%) patients, nonunion in one (4.7%), and implant failure in one (4.7%). Each of these complications led to the requirement for total hip arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: The favorable mid-term clinical outcomes of this study indicate that the FNS is a potentially effective treatment modality for young individuals with unstable Pauwels type III femoral neck fractures.

ZIF-8 Used for the Selective Recovery of Heavy Rare Earth Elements from Mining Wastewater.

In this study, a sample of 2-methylimidazole zinc salt (ZIF-8) demonstrated high selectivity for the recovery of heavy rare earth elements (REEs) from real rare earth mining wastewater. Results show that the distribution coefficient values of Y3+ (4.02 × 104 mL·g-1), Gd3+ (7.8 × 104 mL·g-1), and Dy3+ (6.8 × 104 mL·g-1) are orders of magnitude higher than those of K+ (359.51 mL·g-1), Mn2+ (266.67 mL·g-1), Ca2+ (396.42 mL·g-1), and Mg2+ (239.48 mL·g-1). Moreover, the desorption efficiency of heavy REEs exceeded 40%. Advanced characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were utilized to elucidate that the heavy REEs were more likely to bind to the nitrogen atoms of imidazole groups on ZIF-8 compared to non-REEs. Furthermore, the adsorption and desorption of heavy REEs primarily depend on the chemical interaction confirmed by adsorption kinetics, isotherm model, and thermodynamic analysis, which involves the dissociation of water and the formation of REE-O bonds. Finally, the ZIF-8 exhibits a remarkable recovery efficiency of over 40% for heavy REEs in column tests conducted over 7h. The findings reported here provide new insights into the selective recovery of heavy REEs from real mining wastewater.

Identification of pivotal genes and regulatory networks associated with atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis based on comprehensive bioinformatics analysis and machine learning.

Objective: Bioinformatics methods were applied to investigate the pivotal genes and regulatory networks associated with atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS) and provide new insights for the treatment of this disease. Methods: The study utilized five ACAS datasets (GSE100927, GSE11782, GESE28829, GSE41571, and GSE43292) downloaded from the NCBI GEO database. The first four datasets were combined as the training set (n = 99), while GSE43292 (n = 64) was used as the validation set. Difference analysis and functional enrichment analysis were then performed on the training set. The pathogenic targets of ACAS were screened by protein-protein interaction networks and MCODE analyses, combined with three machine learning algorithms. The results were next verified by analysis of inter-group differences and ROC curve analysis. Next, immune-related function and immune cell correlation analyses were performed, and plaques of human ACAS were applied to verify the results via immunohistochemistry (IH) and immunofluorescence (IF). Finally, the competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) and transcription factors (TFs) regulatory networks of the characterized genes were constructed. Results: A total of 177 differentially expressed genes were identified, including 67 genes downregulated and 110 genes upregulated. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that five pathways were active in the experimental group, including xenograft rejection, autoimmune thyroid disease, graft-versus-host disease, leishmaniasis infection, and lysosomes. Four key genes were identified, with C3AR1 being upregulated and FBLN5, PPP1R12A, and TPM1 being downregulated. The analysis of inter-group differences demonstrated that the four characterized genes were differentially expressed in both the control and experimental groups. The ROC analysis showed that they had high AUC values in both the training and validation sets. Therefore, a predictive ACAS patient nomogram model based on the screened genes was established. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between C3AR1 expression and neutrophils, which was further validated in IH and IF. One or multiple lncRNAs may compete with the characterized genes for binding miRNAs. Additionally, each characterized gene interacts with multiple TFs. Conclusion: Four pivotal genes were screened, and relevant ceRNA and TFs were predicted. These molecules may exert a crucial role in ACAS and serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Uptake and transport mechanisms of rare earth hyperaccumulators: A review.

Due to their use in a number of advanced electronic technologies, Rare earth elements (REEs) have recently emerged as a key strategic resource for many nations worldwide. The significant increase in demand for REEs has thus greatly increased the mining of these substances, but this industrial-scale expansion of mining activities also poses potential risks to the surrounding environment, flora, fauna, and humans. Hence efficient REE remediation is one potential remediation process involving in situ clean-up of contaminated soil which has gained much attention in recent years, due to its low cost and lack of secondary pollution. However, some crucial aspects of phytoremediation, such as the precise-mechanisms of absorption, transport, and tolerance of REEs by hyperaccumulators -are poorly understood. This review briefly discusses the environmental risks associated with excess REEs, the efficacy of phytoremediation technologies coupled with, appropriate hyperaccumulator species to migrate REEs exposure. While REEs hyperaccumulator species should ideally be large-biomass trees and shrubs suitable for cropping in subtropical regions areas, such species have not yet been found. Specifically, this review focuses on the factors affecting the bioavailability of REEs in plants, where organic acids are critical ligands promoting efficient transport and uptake. Thus the uptake, transport, and binding forms of REEs in the above-ground parts of hyperaccumulators, especially the transporters isolated from the heavy metal transporter families, are discussed in detail. Finally, having summarized the current state of research in this area, this review proceeds to discuss current knowledge gaps and research directions. With a focus on hyperaccumulators, this review serves as a basis for future phytoremediation strategies of rare earth mining-impacted environments and addresses ecosystem/environmental degradation issues resulting from such mining activity.

Sequential transcriptomic alterations in the cerebral cortex of mice after cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

To investigate the expression alterations of specific genes that occur after venous stroke, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between sham and damaged cortical tissues at 2 and 7 days after induction of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) model. The profiles of DEGs were analyzed using GO, KEGG, GSEA, and PPI, and the crucial gene was further verified by western blot and immunofluorescence. We found 969 and 883 DEGs at 2 and 7 days after CVST, respectively. A marked increase in biological-process categories, such as immune system process and inflammatory response, and a decrease in neuropeptide signaling pathway were observed both at 2 and 7 days post-CVST. The KEGG pathway was enriched to varying degrees on complement and coagulation cascades, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and multiple immune-inflammatory signaling pathways at 2 and 7 days post-CVST, separately. Furthermore, GSEA highlights the potential roles of the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction in CVST. Importantly, numerous genes related to KEGG pathways above featured prominently in the PPI network analysis, with IL1b being one of the most conspicuous. These time-dependent alterations in gene profiles and enrichment pathways reveal the unique pathophysiological characteristics of CVST and indicate novel therapeutic targets for venous stroke. SIGNIFICANCE: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an underrated and potentially fatal cause of stroke with a reported mortality of 5-10% worldwide. Currently, in addition to anticoagulant and thrombolytic therapy, effective treatments targeting the injured brain parenchyma after CVST remain limited. Besides, accurate diagnostic markers are still sorely lacking. In the present study, we will detect the transcriptomic alterations of the cerebral cortex of mice post-CVST by RNA-sequencing, screen differentially expressed genes and abnormal pathways through bioinformatics methods, analyze the correlation of these signals and CVST pathology, and finally validate the key molecules through western blot and immunofluorescence assays. Collectively, the study aimed to offer a reference for the discovery of specific genes/pathway alterations in the damaged cortical tissues of CVST mice and further reveal the underlying pathogenesis, thereby providing evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of CVST.

Inhibition of CCR1 attenuates neuroinflammation via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neuroinflammation is an important mechanism underlying brain injury caused by subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). C-C chemokine receptor type 1 (CCR1)-mediated inflammation is involved in the pathology of many central nervous system diseases. Herein, we investigated whether inhibition of CCR1 alleviated neuroinflammation after experimental SAH and aimed to elucidate the mechanisms of its potential protective effects. METHODS: To analyze SAH transcriptome data R studio was used, and a mouse model of SAH was established using endovascular perforations. In this model, the selective CCR1 antagonist Met-RANTES (Met-R) and the CCR1 agonist recombinant CCL5 (rCCL5) were administered 1 h after SAH induction. To investigate the possible downstream mechanisms of CCR1, the JAK2 inhibitor AG490 and the JAK2 activator coumermycin A1 (C-A1) were administered 1 h after SAH induction. Furthermore, post-SAH evaluation, including SAH grading, neurological function tests, Western blot, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, and Fluoro-Jade B and fluorescent immunohistochemical staining were performed. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: CCL5 and CCR1 expression levels increased significantly following SAH. Met-R significantly improved neurological deficits in mice, decreased apoptosis and degeneration of ipsilateral cerebral cortex neurons, reduced infiltrating neutrophils, and promoted microglial activation after SAH induction. Furthermore, Met-R inhibited the expression of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, interleukin-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α. However, the protective effects of Met-R were abolished by C-A1 treatment. Furthermore, rCCL5 injection aggravated neurological dysfunction and increased the expression of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, interleukin-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α in SAH mice, all of which were reversed by the administration of AG490. Finally, the levels of CCL5 and CCR1 were elevate in the CSF of SAH patient and high level of CCL5 and CCR1 levels were associated with poor outcome. CONCLUSION: The present results suggested that inhibition of CCR1 attenuates neuroinflammation after SAH via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, which may provide a new target for the treatment of SAH.

Transport and distribution of residual nitrogen in ion-adsorption rare earth tailings.

A large amount of nitrogen remains in ion-absorption rare earth tailings with in-situ leaching technology, and it continually ends up in groundwater sources. However, the distribution and transport of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) across tailings with both depth and hill slopes is still unknown. In this study, the amount of NH4+-N and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) was determined in tailings, and a soil column leaching experiment, served to assess the transport and distribution following mine closure. Firstly, a high concentration of NH4+-N in the leachate at the initial leaching stage was detected, up to 2000 mg L-1, and the concentration of NH4+-N clearly diminished as time passed. Meanwhile, the NH4+-N contents remained relatively high in soil. Secondly, both the content of NH4+-N and NO3--N varied greatly according to vertical distribution after leaching lasting several years. The amounts of NH4+-N and NO3--N in surface soil were much smaller than those in deep soil, with 3-4 orders of magnitude variation with depth. Thirdly, when disturbed by NH4+-N, the pH not only diminished but also changed irregularly as depth increased. Fourthly, although the amount of NO3--N was smaller than that of NH4+-N, both their distribution trend was similar with depth. In fact, NH4+-N and NO3--N were significantly correlated but this declined from the knap to the piedmont. Based on these results, it is suggested that mining activity could cause nitrogen to be dominated by NH4+-N and acidification in a tailing even if leaching occurs over several years. NO3--N derived from NH4+-N transports easily and it becomes the main nitrogen pollutant with the potential to be a long-lasting threat to the environment around a mine.

Identification of anoikis-related genes classification patterns and immune infiltration characterization in ischemic stroke based on machine learning.

Introduction: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a type of stroke that leads to high mortality and disability. Anoikis is a form of programmed cell death. When cells detach from the correct extracellular matrix, anoikis disrupts integrin junctions, thus preventing abnormal proliferating cells from growing or attaching to an inappropriate matrix. Although there is growing evidence that anoikis regulates the immune response, which makes a great contribution to the development of IS, the role of anoikis in the pathogenesis of IS is rarely explored. Methods: First, we downloaded GSE58294 set and GSE16561 set from the NCBI GEO database. And 35 anoikis-related genes (ARGs) were obtained from GSEA website. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to estimate the relative proportions of 22 infiltrating immune cell types. Next, consensus clustering method was used to classify ischemic stroke samples. In addition, we used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) and random forest (RF) algorithms to screen the key ARGs in ischemic stroke. Next, we performed receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to assess the accuracy of each diagnostic gene. At the same time, the nomogram was constructed to diagnose IS by integrating trait genes. Then, we analyzed the correlation between gene expression and immune cell infiltration of the diagnostic genes in the combined database. And gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed on these genes to explore differential signaling pathways and potential functions, as well as the construction and visualization of regulatory networks using NetworkAnalyst and Cytoscape. Finally, we investigated the expression pattern of ARGs in IS patients across age or gender. Results: Our study comprehensively analyzed the role of ARGs in IS for the first time. We revealed the expression profile of ARGs in IS and the correlation with infiltrating immune cells. And The results of consensus clustering analysis suggested that we can classify IS patients into two clusters. The machine learning analysis screened five signature genes, including AKT1, BRMS1, PTRH2, TFDP1 and TLE1. We also constructed nomogram models based on the five risk genes and evaluated the immune infiltration correlation, gene-miRNA, gene-TF and drug-gene interaction regulatory networks of these signature genes. The expression of ARGs did not differ by sex or age. Discussion: This study may provide a beneficial reference for further elucidating the pathogenesis of IS, and render new ideas for drug screening, individualized therapy and immunotherapy of IS.

Underwater Oleophobic Electrospun Membrane with Spindle-Knotted Structured Fibers for Oil-in-Water Emulsion Separation.

The potential of spider silk as an intriguing biological prototype for collecting water from a humid environment has attracted wide attention, and various materials with suitable structures have been engineered. Here, inspired by this phenomenon, a kind of superwetting poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane with spindle-knotted structured fibers was prepared by the electrospinning method followed by oxygen plasma etching treatment. The prepared membrane presented a satisfactory separation efficiency for various oil-in-water emulsions. The cooperative effect of the special wettability property and the spindle-knot structure stimulated the emulsified oil droplets to accumulate quickly on the membrane surface. A model that explains the accumulation of emulsified oil droplets has also been developed. Furthermore, an artificial fiber comprising a micron-sized spindle-knot structure was prepared by the dip-coating method to clearly illustrate the aggregation process of the emulsified oil droplets and to verify the theoretical explanation. We hope that this study will provide new inspiration for oil/water emulsion separation techniques.

Microvascular decompression using a fully transcranial neuroendoscopic approach.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of microvascular decompression (MVD) using a fully transcranial neuroendoscopic approach. METHODS: Thirty-one patients who underwent MVD using a fully transcranial neuroendoscopic approach in our department between May 2016 and September 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: All patients successfully underwent MVD, and immediate pain relief was achieved in all 17 cases of trigeminal neuralgia (TGH) and 3 cases of glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN). Hemifacial spasm (HFS) was completely resolved in all 11 patients. No mortality or permanent complication was seen. CONCLUSIONS: The endoscope is a useful tool for confirming vascular conflict identified by the microscope and is helpful in detecting the vessel responsible for neuralgia without retracting the brain and nerves. MVD using a fully transcranial neuroendoscopic approach is an effective and safe alternative to endoscopic-assisted MVD and traditional MVD.

Overexpressing SIRT6 can Attenuate the Injury of Intracerebral Hemorrhage by Down-Regulating NF-kB.

Sirtuin-6 (SIRT6), a member of the sirtuins family of NAD ( +) dependent deacetylases, has been shown to have beneficial effects in ischemic stroke. However, the role of SIRT6 in intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) has not reported. We observed that SIRT6 expression was down-regulated in human ICH patients and down-regulated in ICH-induced rat cortical neurons. We subsequently found that SIRT6 overexpression reduced brain tissue damage and increased neuronal survival in the ICH model of rats and hemin-induced cortical neurons. Our further study found that overexpression of SIRT6 can reduce inflammatory response by down-regulating the expression of NF-kB and thus promote the recovery of neurological function in ICH animals. In conclusion, SIRT6 can inhibit the expression of NF-kB and plays a neuroprotective role in ICH by inhibiting the NF-kB-mediated inflammatory response.SIRT6 could be a novel therapeutic target for ICH.

Biosynthesis of bionanomaterials using Bacillus cereus for the recovery of rare earth elements from mine wastewater.

The growing demand for rare earth elements (REEs) increasingly requires secondary resources such as mine wastewater containing high concentrations of REEs, to be used as a source of REEs. The current challenge is how to efficiently recover REEs from this feed source. In this paper, a functional bionanomaterial (FeNPs-EPS) was biosynthesized using Bacillus cereus as a possible means of recovering REEs. This composite was composed of both synthesized iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Synthesis of the FeNPs-EPS composite via a one-step biosynthesis was confirmed by materials characterization. The peak in the material's UV-Vis spectra at 511 nm demonstrates the formation of FeNPs-EPS, where 3D-EEM showed that FeNPs-EPS was wrapped predominantly with tryptophan protein-like and humic acid-like substances. In addition, while FTIR indicated that the functional groups present in EPS where virtually identical to those observed in FeNPs-EPS, XPS demonstrated that Fe and O were the major elemental present as both FeO and Fe2O3. Zeta potential measurements indicated that FeNPs-EPS had good stability under different pH conditions, where BET analysis supported multilayer adsorption. Finally, on exposure to high concentrations of Eu(III) and Tb(III) in mine wastewater, the synthesized FeNPs-EPS demonstrated strong potential to remove two cations from the wastewater and hence a potentially practical way to efficiently recover REEs from such waste streams.

Immediate effects of a buffered knee orthosis on gait in stroke patients with knee hyperextension.

BACKGROUND: Patients exhibit considerable variations in gait patterns especially in knee hyperextension in the stance phase after stroke. If knee hyperextension is untreated it may lead to pain, reduced independence in activities of daily living, deformities and instability. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of a buffered knee orthosis on gait of stroke patients with knee hyperextension. METHODS: A total of nine patients with knee hyperextension after stroke were selected to wear buffered knee orthosis developed by Zhongshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and Ruike Medical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd during walking training and daily walking. Then the gait analysis system of Motionanalysis was used to analyze and evaluate kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters of the gait in patients with independent walking or walking with a buffered knee orthosis. RESULTS: After wearing the buffered knee brace, initial contact, maximum and minimum angles of support phase, the toe off the ground, maximum and minimum angles of swing phase on the injured side of knee and ankle increased. Minimum angle of support phase and maximum angle of swing phase on the uninjured side of ankle decreased, while the toe off the ground and minimum angles of swing phase increased significantly (all P< 0.05); There was no significant difference in other kinematics, in parameters between time and space, in walking speed among subjective gait parameters (P> 0.05). Walking distance, confidence, sense of security, and the feeling of walking hyperextension were all improved. In addition, the number of asymmetric kinematic parameters and spatiotemporal parameters decreased. CONCLUSION: The buffered knee orthosis can effectively prevent knee hyperextension after stroke, improve the knee and ankle sagittal motion, gait asymmetry, gait subjective feeling, and does not affect gait space-time parameters.

Factors influencing mosaicism: a retrospective analysis.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What factors affect the incidence of mosaic embryos resulting from assisted reproductive technology? DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of data from preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies in 544 couples was conducted using data from an electronic medical record database. RESULTS: Of 1910 embryos studied, 127 (6.6%) were mosaic. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, mosaicism incidence increased in embryos from IVF versus intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (odds ratio [OR] 4.560, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.800-7.424, P < 0.001), and in embryos from abnormal versus normal semen (OR 3.496, 95% CI 2.455-4.979, P < 0.001). Embryos tested using SurePlex 24Sure had lower mosaicism percentages than those tested using MALBAC-NGS and PicoPLEX GenetiSure (OR 2.726, 95% CI 1.532-4.852, P = 0.001; OR 2.389, 95% CI 1.537-3.711, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Semen quality, fertilization method and detection system are independent factors associated with embryonic mosaicism.

Expression and Prognostic Role of Glia Maturation Factor-γ in Gliomas.

Background: Glia maturation factor-γ (GMFG) regulates actin cytoskeletal organization and promotes the invasion of cancer cells. However, its expression pattern and molecular function in gliomas have not been clearly defined. Methods: In this study, public datasets comprising 2,518 gliomas samples were used to explore GMFG expression and its correlation with malignancy in gliomas. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to determine the expression of GMFG in gliomas using an in-house cohort that contained 120 gliomas samples. Gene ontology enrichment analysis was conducted using the DAVID tool. The correlation between GMFG expression and immune cell infiltration was evaluated using TIMER, Tumor Immune Single-Cell Hub (TISCH) database, and IHC staining assays. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to determine the prognostic role of GMFG and its association with temozolomide (TMZ) response in gliomas. Results: The GMFG expression was higher in gliomas compared with non-tumor brain tissues both in public datasets and in-house cohort. High expression of GMFG was significantly associated with WHO grade IV, IDH 1/2 wild-type, and mesenchymal (ME) subtypes. Bioinformatic prediction and IHC analysis revealed that GMFG expression obviously correlated with the macrophage marker CD163 in gliomas. Moreover, both lower grade glioma (LGG) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients with high GMFG expression had shorter overall survival than those with low GMFG expression. These results indicate that GMFG may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of such patients. Patients with low GMFG expression who received chemotherapy had a longer survival time than those with high GMFG expression. For patients who received ion radiotherapy (IR) only, the GMFG expression level had no effect on the overall survival neither in CGGA and TCGA datasets. Conclusion: The GMFG is a novel prognostic biomarker for patients with both LGG and GBM. Increased GMFG expression is associated with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) infiltration and with a bad response to TMZ treatment.

PATZ1 Induces Apoptosis through PUMA in Glioblastoma.

Aim: This study was aimed at investigating the mechanism of PATZ1 inducing apoptosis through PUMA in glioblastoma. Overexpressed PATZ1 was transfected to explore its role in inducing apoptosis in glioblastoma cells. Methods: The expression of protein was detected by western blotting assay. qRT-PCR assay was used to detect the expression of RNA. Confocal microscopy was used to analyze the correlation between PATZ1 and PUMA. TUNEL assay was used to detect the cell apoptosis. The ability of cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay and EDU assay. The effects of PATZ1 on cell apoptosis and tumor proliferation were observed in vivo by tumor xenograft mouse model. Results: The results showed that low PATZ1 expression correlates with poor prognosis in glioblastoma patients. Overexpression of PATZ1 inhibits glioma cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by activating intrinsic apoptotic pathways. PATZ1 colocalizes intracellularly with PUMA inducing apoptosis through PUMA in glioblastoma. Conclusion: PATZ1 plays a biological regulatory role in inducing apoptosis in glioblastoma, and this regulatory effect is related to PUMA, and the specific mechanism remains to be further explored.

Redistribution and chemical speciation of rare earth elements in an ion-adsorption rare earth tailing, Southern China.

Mining is an activity that will change the distribution and chemical speciation of rare earth elements (REEs), thus posing a serious threat to the natural environment. However, the distribution and chemical speciation of REEs in ion-adsorption rare earth tailings remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the contents and forms of REEs and associated geochemical behavior in rare earth tailings in southeast China. Total rare earth elements (TREEs) contents were lower while the ratios of light REEs (LREEs) to heavy REEs (HREEs) were higher in tailings than in an unmined area. In the unmined area, the distribution characteristics of TREEs and LREEs remained consistent, whereas HREEs differed with increasing depth. However, in the tailing area, the distribution characteristics of TREEs, LREEs and HREEs tended to be consistent, reflecting the outcomes of mining activities on vertical distribution characteristics of REEs. The REEs were dominated by residual and exchangeable forms in the unmined area, while residual and exchangeable REEs accounted for 80% and 20% of the TREEs, respectively, in the three tailings. Additionally, the exchangeable and carbonate-bound REEs increased but Fe/Mn oxide-bound and organic-bound REEs declined in the unmined area, whereas their distribution characteristics were irregular in the tailings. These results suggest that mining activity could curtail REEs contents and redistribute their chemical speciation, further altering geochemical behaviors in the tailings and posing serious risks to adjacent environments.