Enhancing the health benefits of air quality improvement: a comparative study across diverse scenarios.

In many studies, linear methods were used to calculate health benefits of air quality improvement, but the relationship between air pollutants and diseases may be complex and nonlinear. In addition, previous studies using reference number as average number of diseases may overestimate the health benefits. Therefore, the nonlinear model estimation and resetting of the reference number were very important. Hospital admission data for coronary heart disease (CHD), meteorological data, and air pollutant data of Zibo City from 2015 to 2019 were collected. The generalized additive model (GAM) was used to explore the association between air pollutants and hospital admission for CHD, and to evaluate the effects on health benefits under different reference number settings. A total of 21,105 hospitalized cases for CHD were reported in Zibo during the study period. The results of the GAM showed there was a log-linear exposure-response relationship between O3 and hospital admissions for CHD, with RR (relative risk) of 1.0143 (95% CI: 1.0047 ~ 1.0239). There were log-nonlinear exposure-response relationships between PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and hospital admissions for CHD. With the increase of pollutants concentrations, the risk for hospital admission showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. Compared with the average hospital admissions as the reference number, health benefits calculated by hospital admissions predicted by the GAM model yielded lower. Using the World Health Organization air quality guidelines as reference, attributable fractions of O3, PM10, and PM2.5 were 1.97% (95% CI: 0.63 ~ 3.40%), 11.82% (95% CI: 8.60 ~ 15.24%), and 11.82% (95% CI: 8.79 ~ 15.04%), respectively. When quantifying health benefits brought by improving air quality, corresponding calculation methods should first be determined according to the exposure-response relationships between air pollutants and outcomes. Then, applying the average hospital admissions as reference number may overestimate health benefits resulting from improved air quality.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of edible mushrooms: features, evolution, and phylogeny.

Edible mushrooms are an important food source with high nutritional and medicinal value. They are a useful source for studying phylogenetic evolution and species divergence. The exploration of the evolutionary relationships among these species conventionally involves analyzing sequence variations within their complete mitochondrial genomes, which range from 31,854 bp (Cordyceps militaris) to 197,486 bp (Grifolia frondosa). The study of the complete mitochondrial genomes of edible mushrooms has emerged as a critical field of research, providing important insights into fungal genetic makeup, evolution, and phylogenetic relationships. This review explores the mitochondrial genome structures of various edible mushroom species, highlighting their unique features and evolutionary adaptations. By analyzing these genomes, robust phylogenetic frameworks are constructed to elucidate mushrooms lineage relationships. Furthermore, the exploration of different variations of mitochondrial DNA presents novel opportunities for enhancing mushroom cultivation biotechnology and medicinal applications. The mitochondrial genomic features are essential for improving agricultural practices and ensuring food security through improved crop productivity, disease resistance, and nutritional qualities. The current knowledge about the mitochondrial genomes of edible mushrooms is summarized in this review, emphasising their significance in both scientific research and practical applications in bioinformatics and medicine.

Multidimensional occurrence and diet risk of emerging contaminants in freshwater with urban agglomerations.

Freshwater systems near highly urbanized areas are extremely susceptible to emerging contaminants (ECs), yet their stereoscopic persistence in aquatic ecosystems and related risks remain largely unknown. Herein, we characterized the multi-mediums distribution of 63 ECs in Baiyangdian Lake, the biggest urban lake in the North of China. We identified variations in the seasonal patterns of aquatic EC levels, which decreased in water and increased in sediment from wet to dry seasons. Surprisingly, higher concentrations and a greater variety of ECs were detected in reeds than in aquatic animals, indicating that plants may contribute to the transferring of ECs. Source analysis indicated that human activity considerably affected the distribution and risk of ECs. The dietary risk of ECs is most pronounced among children following the intake of aquatic products, especially with a relatively higher risk associated with fish consumption. Besides, a comprehensive scoring ranking method was proposed, and 9 ECs, including BPS and macrolide antibiotics, are identified as prioritized control pollutants. These findings highlight the risks associated with aquatic ECs and can facilitate the development of effective management strategies.

The impact of decentralization of health services at the municipal level on health outcomes: evidence from China.

Objectives: Under the system of health decentralization, there are differences in the level of expenditure decentralization at different levels of government, and their impact on residents' health may also be different. This paper is one of the first to evaluate the effect of decentralization of health services at the municipal level from a multi-dimensional health perspective. Data and methods: This paper uses the data of expenditure decentralization of health services at the municipal level to match the panel data from the China Household Panel Survey (CFPS) from 2010 to 2018, and uses the logit model, ordered logit model and two-way fixed effects model to empirically analyze the impact of health decentralization at the municipal level on health outcomes. Results: Based on the perspective of multi-dimensional health, from the three aspects of physical health, depression status and cognitive ability, the six sub-indicators of self-rated health, BMI standards, depression scores (summation method), depression scores (factor method), phrase test scores and mathematics test scores are discussed separately. The results show that the decentralization of health services at the municipal level has a significant promotion effect on the multi-dimensional health of residents. Conclusion: The decentralization of health services at the municipal level has important theoretical significance for promoting the reasonable division of medical and health powers and expenditure responsibilities between provincial and municipal governments, improving the efficiency of health expenditure funds, and establishing a fiscal system that matches financial resources.

A Novel Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Specifically Improving the Solubility and Antioxidant Activities of Edible Bird's Nest.

Edible bird's nest (EBN), a most highly priced and valuable foodstuff, contains high percentage of proteins and carbohydrates. However, proteins adhering to these carbohydrates make the EBN hard and tough, which need to be boiled as the bird's nest soup to make the Chinese cuisine. To overcome the hard and tough texture of EBN and improve the digestion degrees, the present study screened and identified a probiotic strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens YZW02 from 5-year stored EBN sample completely solubilizing EBN for the first time. The 24-h B. amyloliquefaciens fermented EBN contained 20.30-21.48 mg/mL of the soluble protein contents with a recovery rate of 98-100%, DPPH radical scavenging rate of 84.76% and ABTS radical scavenging capacity of 41.05%. The mixed fermentation of B. amyloliquefaciens YZW02 and Bacillus natto BN1 were further applied to improve the low-MW peptide percentages and antioxidant activities. The mixed-fermentation of B. natto BN1 with 4-h cultured B. amyloliquefaciens YZW02 had the lowest percentage (82.23%) of >12-kDa proteins/peptides and highest percentages of 3-12 kDa, 1-3 kDa and 0.1-1 kDa peptides of 8.6% ± 0.08, 7.57% ± 0.09, 1.77% ± 0.05 and 0.73% ± 0.05, with the highest DPPH, ABTS and •OH scavenging capacity of 90.23%, 46.45% and 49.12%, respectively. These findings would provide an efficient strategy for improving the solubility and antioxidant activities of EBNs.

Porous Aromatic Frameworks Enabling Polyiodide Confinement toward High Capacity and Long Lifespan Zinc-Iodine Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-iodine batteries (AZIBs) are attracting increasing attention because of their high safety and abundance of resources. However, the performance of AZIBs is compromised by inadequate confinement of soluble polyiodides, the undesired shuttle effect, and slow reaction kinetics. In this study, a porous aromatic framework (PAF) with abundant benzene motifs and a well-organized pore structure is adopted as the iodine host, which exhibits high iodine adsorption capacity and robust polyiodide confinement. Both experimental characterizations and theoretical simulations indicate that the interactions between iodine species and the PAF-1 facilitate the redox reaction by coupling the electronic structures of the active species in the framework. A comparison of PAF-1, PAF-5, and PAF-11 also emphasizes the structural advantages of the high surface area and interconnected three-dimensional channels of PAF-1. Consequently, the I2@PAF-1 cathode can deliver a high capacity of 328 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C, outstanding rate performance, and a stable cycling life of 20 000 cycles (86 % retention at 10 C). The robust polyiodide confinement and superb electrochemical performance of Zn-I2@PAF-1 provide insights into the practical application of PAFs as excellent electrode materials for AZIBs.

Mindfulness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation as predictors of psychological well-being in EFL learners.

Introduction: Mindfulness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation play vital roles in shaping the psychological well-being of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This study investigates the interconnections among these constructs and their implications for the psychological well-being of 527 Chinese EFL learners. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Chinese EFL learners enrolled in a university in China. Participants were recruited through a non-probability convenience sampling method from English language courses. They completed validated self-report questionnaires assessing mindfulness, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and psychological well-being. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and mediation analysis were employed to explore the relationships among these constructs. Results: The study found that mindfulness and self-efficacy independently and directly predicted psychological well-being among Chinese EFL learners. Additionally, self-regulation emerged as a significant mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and psychological well-being, suggesting that mindfulness enhances well-being indirectly through improved self-regulation skills. Discussion: These findings underscore the critical roles of mindfulness practices, self-efficacy beliefs, and self-regulation skills in promoting psychological well-being among EFL learners. The implications of this study extend to mindfulness-based interventions and programs designed. However, the study's cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and the use of self-report measures may introduce biases. Moreover, the sample's limited diversity and homogeneous demographic profile, attributed to the convenience sampling from a single university, may constrain the generalizability of the findings. Future research could adopt longitudinal designs and diverse participant samples to further elucidate these relationships and enhance the robustness of the findings.

Development and Improvement of a Piezoelectrically Driven Miniature Robot.

In this paper, we proposed a miniature quadrupedal piezoelectric robot with a mass of 1.8 g and a body length of 4.6 cm. The robot adopts a novel spatial parallel mechanism as its transmission. Each leg of the robot has two degrees of freedom (DOFs): swing and lift. The trajectory necessary for walking is achieved by the appropriate phasing of these two DOFs. A new manufacturing method for piezoelectric actuators was developed. During the stacking process, discrete patterned PZT pieces are used to avoid dielectric failure caused by laser cutting. Copper-clad FR-4 is used as the solder pad instead of copper foil, making the connection between the pad and the actuator more reliable. The lift powertrain of the robot was modeled and the link length of the powertrain was optimized based on the model. The maximum output force of each leg can reach 26 mN under optimized design parameters, which is 1.38 times the required force for successful walking. The frequency response of the powertrain was measured and fitted to the second-order system, which enabled increased leg amplitudes near the powertrain resonance of approximately 70 Hz with adjusted drive signals. The maximum speed of the robot without load reached 48.66 cm/s (10.58 body lengths per second) and the payload capacity can reach 5.5 g (3.05 times its mass) near the powertrain resonance.

The first detection of mpox virus DNA from wastewater in China.

Wastewater monitoring may be a valuable early surveillance tool for studying mpox virus (MPXV) circulation in China, a country with high population density and very few mpox patients. To evaluate the effectiveness of wastewater monitoring for MPXV in detecting local hidden transmission of the epidemic in the early period, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention initiated a wastewater monitoring program for MPXV in China in July 2023. To enhance the monitoring sensitivity of the program, an MPXV monitoring point was established in a gathering place of high-risk mpox population. Three different concentration methods, PEG precipitation, ultrafiltration, and magnetic beads method were evaluated and compared. Due to its high recovery efficiency, low limit of detection, and high degree of automation, the magnetic beads method was selected for the daily surveillance of MPXV in wastewater. On September 5, 2023, MPXV DNA was detected at the MPXV monitoring point in Zibo City, marking the first instance of MPXV detection of MPXV in wastewater in China. Next-generation sequencing was conducted on the MPXV genome obtained from the positive wastewater, positive environmental samples, and the single case of mpox in Zibo in September. The results showed that the genotypes of these three genomes were different but all belong to the IIb branch of the C.1 lineage, indicating a probably hidden transmission of mpox. Wastewater monitoring is potentially an effective early surveillance tool for tracking the spread of MPXV in areas with high population density and very few mpox patients.

Revealing the mechanism of central pain hypersensitivity in primary dysmenorrhea: evidence from neuroimaging.

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) is the most common problem in menstruating women. A number of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study have revealed that the brain plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of PDM. However, these results have been inconsistent, and there is a lack of a comprehensive fMRI study to clarify the onset and long-term effects of PDM. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the onset and long-term effects of PDM in a cohort of patients with PDM. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design with prospective data collection, in which 25 patients with PDM and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The patients with PDM underwent fMRI scans both during the PDM during the pain phase (PDM-P) and nonpain phase (PDM-NP). The long-term effects of PDM on the brain was assessed by comparing PDM-NP findings with those of HCs, and the central mechanism of PDM was assessed by comparing the PDM-P findings with those of PDM-NP. To identify changes in brain function, the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and the regional homogeneity (ReHo) were measured. To assess changes in brain structure, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was applied. The periaqueductal gray (PAG) was set as a region of for conducting seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Subsequently, Pearson correlation analyses were employed to evaluate the associations between the abnormal brain region and the clinical information of the patients. Results: There were neither functional nor structural differences between patients in the PDM-NP and HCs. Compared with those in PDM-NP, those in PDM-P showed increased ReHo in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) but decreased FC between PAG and right superior parietal gyrus, bilateral inferior parietal gyrus, right calcarine gyrus, left superior occipital gyrus, left precentral gyrus, right DLPFC, and left crus I of the cerebellar hemisphere. Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that the mechanism of central pain hypersensitivity of PDM may be related to the disorder of the FC between the PAG and descending pain modulation system, default mode network (DMN), and occipital lobe. These findings could help us better understand the pathophysiology of PDM from a neuroimaging perspective.

Construction of cytomegalovirus promoter-driven gene expression system in Laodelphax striatellus.

The small brown planthopper (SBPH, Laodelphax striatellus) is a significant rice pest, responsible for transmitting rice stripe virus (RSV) in a persistent and propagative manner. RSV is one of the most detrimental rice viruses, causing rice stripe disease, which results in considerable loss of rice grain yield. While RNA interference and gene knockout techniques have enabled gene downregulation in SBPH, no system currently exists for the overexpression of endogenous or exogenous genes. Consequently, the development of a protein expression system for SBPH is imperative to serve as a technical foundation for pest control and gene function investigations. This study aimed to construct an expression vector using the promoter of the constitutive-expressed tubulin gene of SBPH, and promoter of human cytomegalovirus (CMV). Fluorescence experiments demonstrated that both tubulin and CMV promoter could drive green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in SBPH, and could also facilitate the expression of a nucleocapsid protein (NP) -GFP fusion protein containing viral NP with comparable efficiency. Through expression vector optimization, we have identified that the 3 tandem CMV promoters display a significantly higher promoter activity compared with both the 2 tandem CMV promoters and the single CMV promoter. In addition, the incorporation of Star polycation nanoparticles significantly enhanced the expression efficiency in SBPH. These results provide a promising technical platform for investigating gene functions in SBPH.

π-π Stacking Modulation via Polymer Adsorption for Elongated Exciton Diffusion in High-Efficiency Thick-Film Organic Solar Cells.

Developing efficient organic solar cells (OSCs) with thick active layers is crucial for roll-to-roll printing. However, thicker layers often result in lower efficiency. This study tackles this challenge using a polymer adsorption strategy combined with a layer-by-layer approach. Incorporating insulator polystyrene (PS) into the PM6:L8-BO system creates PM6+PS:L8-BO blends, effectively suppressing trap states and extending exciton diffusion length in the mixed donor domain. Adding insulating polymers with benzene rings to the donor enhances π-π stacking of donors, boosting intermolecular interactions and electron wave function overlap. This results in more orderly molecular stacking, longer exciton lifetimes, and higher diffusion lengths. The promoted long-range exciton diffusion leads to high power conversion efficiencies of 19.05% and 18.15% for PM6+PS:L8-BO blend films with 100 and 300 nm thickness, respectively, as well as a respectable 16.00% for 500 nm. These insights guide material selection for better exciton diffusion, and offer a method for thick-film OSC fabrication, promoting a prosperous future for practical OSC mass production.

A plant virus manipulates the long-winged morph of insect vectors.

Wing dimorphism of insect vectors is a determining factor for viral long-distance dispersal and large-area epidemics. Although plant viruses affect the wing plasticity of insect vectors, the potential underlying molecular mechanisms have seldom been investigated. Here, we found that a planthopper-vectored rice virus, rice stripe virus (RSV), specifically induces a long-winged morph in male insects. The analysis of field populations demonstrated that the long-winged ratios of male insects are closely associated with RSV infection regardless of viral titers. A planthopper-specific and testis-highly expressed gene, Encounter, was fortuitously found to play a key role in the RSV-induced long-winged morph. Encounter resembles malate dehydrogenase in the sequence, but it does not have corresponding enzymatic activity. Encounter is upregulated to affect male wing dimorphism at early larval stages. Encounter is closely connected with the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway as a downstream factor of Akt, of which the transcriptional level is activated in response to RSV infection, resulting in the elevated expression of Encounter. In addition, an RSV-derived small interfering RNA directly targets Encounter to enhance its expression. Our study reveals an unreported mechanism underlying the direct regulation by a plant virus of wing dimorphism in its insect vectors, providing the potential way for interrupting viral dispersal.

Effects of extreme temperature events on deaths and its interaction with air pollution.

BACKGROUND: Both extreme temperature events (ETEs) and air pollution affected human health, and their effects were often not independent. Previous studies have provided limited information on the interactions between ETEs and air pollution. METHODS: We collected data on deaths (non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory) in Zibo City along with daily air pollution and meteorological data from January 2015 to December 2019. Distributed lag non-linear model was used to explore the health effects of ETEs on deaths. Non-parametric binary response model, hierarchical model and joint effect model were used to further explore the interaction between ETEs and air pollution in different seasons. Meanwhile, subgroup analysis by gender and age (≥ 65 years old and < 65 years old) was conducted to identify the vulnerable population. RESULTS: ETEs increased death risk, especially for cardiovascular and respiratory deaths. Heat waves had a stronger impact than cold spells. Cold spells had a longer lag and fluctuating trend. Heat waves had a short-term impact, followed by a decrease. Females and those aged ≥ 65 were more affected, but subgroup differences were not significant. During ETEs and non-ETEs, there were different effects on deaths with per IQR increase in air pollutant concentrations. Joint effect models revealed that there was a significant interaction between ETEs and air pollution on non-accidental deaths. The interaction between PM2.5 and cold spells was antagonistic in the cold season. In the warm season, the health effects of heat waves and high O3 concentration were enhanced. The relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) of cold spells and PM2.5 in total population was -0.09 (95 % CI: -0.17, -0.01), and 9 % (95 % CI: 1 %, 17 %) of the total effect was attributable to interaction. Subgroup analysis confirmed the interactions in females and those aged ≥ 65. CONCLUSIONS: Significant association observed between ETEs and deaths. Females and ≥ 65 age groups were vulnerable. There were interactions between ETEs and air pollution. The effect of PM2.5 on deaths decreased during cold spells, while the effect of O3 increased during heat waves. In addition to improving air quality, it is necessary to further strengthen the prevention and control of ETEs.

Diagnosis of SPECT/CT bone imaging combined with two serum examinations in patients with bone metastases from pulmonary cancer

Purpose To study the clinical diagnostic value of SPECT/CT bone imaging combined with two serum examinations in patients with bone metastases from pulmonary cancer. Methods The clinical data of 120 patients consistent with pulmonary cancer admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from March 2019 to December 2019 were selected for retrospective analysis, and they were divided into the bone metastasis group (n = 58) and non-bone metastasis group (n = 62) according to comprehensive evaluation result of X-ray, CT, MRI and clinical follow-up. The CT values of patients were obtained by SPECT/CT bone imaging to compare serum levels of ALP (alkaline phosphatase belongs to phosphoric monoester hydrolases, as a specific phosphatase, mainly in body tissues and body fluid) and BAP (bone alkaline phosphatase is formed by different modification and processing of alkaline phosphatase, and is mainly released by osteoblasts) and CT values of patients in both groups, using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of single detection and combined detection. Results SPECT/CT bone imaging in patients with bone metastasis from pulmonary cancer showed abnormal radioactive accumulation in spine, pelvis and bilateral ribs. Serum ALP, BAP and CT values in bone metastasis group were overtly higher than the non-bone metastasis group (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that serum ALP, BAP and CT value were independent risk factors for bone metastasis from pulmonary cancer. The AUC value and Youden index of combined diagnosis were higher than those of single diagnosis. Conclusion SPECT/CT bone imaging combined with serum detection of ALP and BAP in patients with pulmonary cancer is helpful for early diagnosis of bone metastasis, which provides more basis for the formulation and selection of clinical treatment options (AU)

Feedthrough effect in MEMS gyroscopes and fully differential feedthrough cancellation method.

In the operation of MEMS gyroscopes, the feedthrough signal is inevitably introduced through the feedthrough capacitance and significantly affects the performance of MEMS gyroscopes. The common feedthrough cancellation methods highly depend on the microfabrication process and the structural symmetry of MEMS gyroscopes, which cannot effectively eliminate the feedthrough signal. In order to solve this problem, a new feedthrough cancellation method based on a fully differential configuration is proposed in this paper. The influence of the feedthrough effect is analyzed by establishing an equivalent circuit model including the feedthrough capacitance and described by the admittance diagram. Different drive and detection configurations are compared for the problem of feedthrough mismatch on different paths. Based on the theoretical analysis, a fully differential feedthrough cancellation scheme combined with two inverse feedthrough cancellation circuits is proposed. The deviation of feedthrough signal caused by the asymmetry of two differential paths can be adjusted by the two inverse feedthrough cancellation circuits. The fully differential configuration can further increase the drive force and suppress the common mode errors. The experimental results indicate that the feedthrough signal is suppressed in a large degree by the designed feedthrough cancellation method. The feedthrough level is reduced by 50.53 dB, and the amplitude of the effective signal increases from 4.10 to 9.46 dB. The signal-to-noise ratio has an improvement of 212.48% than that before feedthrough cancellation. The proposed feedthrough cancellation method can significantly reduce the interference of feedthrough signals on the effective signal, effectively improving the signal quality of MEMS gyroscopes.

Based on functional and histopathological correlations: is diffusion kurtosis imaging valuable for noninvasive assessment of renal damage in early-stage of chronic kidney disease?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential of 3 T magnetic resonance diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in assessing the renal damage in early-stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with normal or slightly changed functional index, using histopathology as reference standard. METHODS: 49 CKD patients and 18 healthy volunteers were recruited in this study. CKD patients were divided into two groups based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): Study group I (eGFR ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m2 [n = 20]) and Study group II (eGFR < 90 ml/min/1.73 m2 [n = 29]). DKI was performed in all participants. The DKI parameters (mean kurtosis [MK], mean diffusivity [MD], fractional anisotropy [FA]) of renal cortex and medulla were measured. The differences of parenchymal MD, MK and FA values among the different groups were compared. The correlations between DKI parameters and clinicopathological characteristics were assessed. Diagnostic performance of DKI to assess renal damage in early-stage of CKD was analyzed. RESULTS: The cortex MD and MK showed significant difference among three groups (P < 0.05): trend of cortex MD: Study group II < Study group I < control group; trend of cortex MK: control group < Study group I < Study group II. The cortex MD and MK and medulla FA were correlated with eGFR and Interstitial fibrosis/Tubular atrophy score (0.3 < r < 0.5). Cortex MD and MK yielded an AUC of 0.752 for differentiating healthy volunteers from CKD patients with eGFR ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m2. CONCLUSION: DKI shows potential in non-invasive and multi-parameter quantitative assessment of renal damage in early-stage of CKD patients and provide additional information for changes in renal function and histopathology.

Altered brain function and structure pre- and post- COVID-19 infection: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect the brain, resulting in central nervous system symptoms. However, there is a lack of a longitudinal imaging study investigating the impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection on brain function. Consequently, this study aimed to fill this knowledge gap using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS: Twenty-one participants underwent two resting-state fMRI scans before and after infection. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were assessed to identify the brain function changes. Additionally, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was utilized to assess changes in brain structure. Subsequently, brain regions that showed significant differences were identified as regions of interest (ROI) in functional connectivity analysis (FC). RESULTS: After infection, ALFF was increased in the bilateral paracentral lobe and postcentral gyrus while decreased in the bilateral precuneus. Moreover, ReHo was decreased in the cerebellar vermis, accompanied by a decrease in FC with the bilateral postcentral gyrus. Furthermore, gray matter volume (GMV) reduction was observed in the left thalamus. The results of the correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between ALFF values in the bilateral precuneus and scores on the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) in pre- and post-infection datasets. CONCLUSION: Neuroimaging alterations may occur before the manifestation of clinical symptoms, indicating that the functioning of the motor and sensory systems, as well as their connection, might be affected following infection. This alteration can potentially increase the potential of maladaptive responses to environmental stimuli. Furthermore, patients may be susceptible to future emotional disorders.

Overall quality changes and deterioration mechanism of fragrant rapeseed oils during 6-Month storage.

The strong-fragrant rapeseed oil (SFRO) is a popular rapeseed oil in China with a low refining degree only degumming with hot water, which remarkably affects its storage stability. The present study compared the overall changes of physical/chemical/nutrient quality of FROs at various temperatures, light wavelengths and headspace volumes. Results showed that red light (680 nm) had a most significant adverse effect on the overall quality of SFRO with the higher correlation coefficients to PV and TOTOX of 0.71 and 0.70, and lower correlation coefficients to chlorophyll and tocopherol of -0.95 and -0.53, respectively. Further studies revealed that red light accelerated the oxidation of fragrant rapeseed oils by degrading chlorophyll to initiate the photo-oxidation process and synthesize high amount of secondary oxidation products including aliphatic and aromatic oxidized compounds from linolenic acid. These findings provided a reference to control the deterioration of FROs by preventing the transmittance of red light.

Grifola frondosa polysaccharides: A review on structure/activity, biosynthesis and engineering strategies.

Polysaccharides are the main polymers in edible fungi Grifola frondosa, playing a crucial role in the physiology and representing the healthy benefits for humans. Recent efforts have well elucidated the fine structures and biological functions of G. frondosa polysaccharides. The recently-rapid developments and increasing availability in fungal genomes also accelerated the better understanding of key genes and pathways involved in biosynthesis of G. frondosa polysaccharides. Herein, we provide a brief overview of G. frondosa polysaccharides and their activities, and comprehensively outline the complex process, genes and proteins corresponding to G. frondosa polysaccharide biosynthesis. The regulation strategies including strain improvement, process optimization and genetic engineering were also summarized for maximum production of G. frondosa polysaccharides. Some remaining unanswered questions in describing the fine synthesis machinery were also pointed out to open up new avenues for answering the structure-activity relationship and improving polysaccharide biosynthesis in G. frondosa. The review hopefully presents a reasonable full picture of activities, biosynthesis, and production regulation of polysaccharide in G. frondosa.