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AIMS: Precocious puberty (PP) may lead to many adverse outcomes. Recent evidence suggests that PP is a gut-brain disease. On the other hand, the use of glycyrrhizin, a natural sweetener, has become popular in the past decade. Glycyrrhizin possesses various health benefits, but its impact on PP has yet to be investigated. We aimed to explore the protective effects of glycyrrhizin against PP in both humans (observational) and animals (interventional). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the human cohort, we investigated the association between glycyrrhizin consumption and risk of PP. In the animal experiment, we observed puberty onset after feeding danazol-induced PP rats with glycyrrizin. Blood, fecal, and hypothalamic samples were harvested to evaluate potential mechanistic pathways. We also performed a fecal microbiota transplantation to confirm to causal relationship between glycyrrhizin and PP risk. KEY FINDINGS: Glycyrrhizin exhibited a protective effect against PP in children (OR 0.60, 95%CI: 0.39-0.89, p = 0.013), primarily driven by its significance in girls, while no significant effect was observed in boys. This effect was consistent with findings in rodents. These benefits were achieved through the modulation of the gut microbiome, which functionally suppressed the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and prevented PP progression. A fecal microbiota transplantation indicated that the causal correlation between glycyrrhizin intake and PP is mediated by the gut microbiome alterations. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggest that glycyrrhizin can protect against PP by altering the gut microbiome. Long term use of glycyrrhizin is safe and tolerable. Therefore, glycyrrhizin can serve as a safe and affordable complementary therapy for PP.
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Microbioma Gastrointestinal , Ácido Glicirrízico , Puberdade Precoce , Edulcorantes , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/efeitos dos fármacos , Ácido Glicirrízico/farmacologia , Animais , Ratos , Masculino , Feminino , Puberdade Precoce/prevenção & controle , Puberdade Precoce/tratamento farmacológico , Edulcorantes/farmacologia , Edulcorantes/efeitos adversos , Humanos , Criança , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Transplante de Microbiota FecalRESUMO
AIMS: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by loss of dopamine neurons in the brain, which leads to motor dysfunction; excessive inflammation induces neuronal death. This study aimed to determine the most effective exercise modality to improve motor dysfunction in PD by comparing three different exercise regimens (low-intensity treadmill, high-intensity treadmill, and swimming). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rat model for PD was established through stereotaxic surgery, inducing unilateral 6-OHDA (6-hydroxydopamine) lesions. The low-intensity treadmill regimen exerted better protective effects on neurological and motor functions in a rat model of unilateral 6-OHDA-induced PD compared to high-intensity treadmill and swimming. The most suitable exercise regimen and the optimal duration of daily exercise (15 or 30 min) on motor activity and oxidative stress parameters were evaluated. KEY FINDINGS: Comparison of 15 and 30 min low-intensity treadmill regimens (10 m/min) revealed 30 min daily exercise was the optimal duration and had more favorable impacts on neurological and motor function. Furthermore, we assessed the neuroprotective effects of exercising for 15 and 30 min per day for either four or ten weeks; 30 min of daily exercise for ten weeks improved mitochondrial function, the antioxidant defense system, neurotrophic factors, and muscle mass, and thereby provided protection against dopaminergic neuron loss, and motor dysfunction in rats with 6-OHDA-induced PD. SIGNIFICANCE: 30 min of daily low-intensity treadmill exercise over 10 weeks resulted in heightened mitochondrial function in both muscle and brain tissues, therefore, yielded a neuroprotective effect against the loss of dopaminergic neurons and motor dysfunction in PD rats.
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Modelos Animais de Doenças , Mitocôndrias , Estresse Oxidativo , Oxidopamina , Doença de Parkinson , Condicionamento Físico Animal , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Animais , Ratos , Condicionamento Físico Animal/métodos , Condicionamento Físico Animal/fisiologia , Masculino , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Doença de Parkinson/terapia , Doença de Parkinson/metabolismo , Doença de Parkinson/fisiopatologia , Músculo Esquelético/metabolismo , Músculo Esquelético/fisiopatologia , Terapia por Exercício/métodos , Atividade Motora/fisiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Middle-aged women with obesity are at increased risk of iron overload and iron disorder is known to disrupt n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid homeostasis. We evaluated relationships between pretreatment hemoglobin and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels, and tested whether pretreatment hemoglobin contributed to inter-individual variability in weight loss with special focus on changes in body weight, iron and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles. STUDY DESIGN: 117 middle and older aged women with obesity and more than two metabolic abnormalities were randomized to a 12-week hypocaloric diet without or with fish oil supplementation. Blood iron biomarker and erythrocyte membrane phospholipid profiles were evaluated. MAIN OUTCOME: The absolute change from baseline to week 12 in serum iron and erythrocyte n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels according to pretreatment hemoglobin tertiles and fish oil supplementation. RESULTS: A Pearson correlation analysis showed that pretreatment hemoglobin levels were negatively correlated with linoleic acid (r = -0.231), α-linoleic acid (r = -0.279), and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (r = -0.217) (all p < 0.05). Dietary weight loss markedly enhanced erythrocyte membrane lipids of linoleic acid, α-linoleic acid, and n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid only in those women with the highest pretreatment hemoglobin levels (tertile 3) (all p < 0.05). Fish oil supplementation increased bioavailable iron in women with moderate pretreatment hemoglobin levels (tertile 2) (p < 0.05) and, to a lesser extent, prevented a reduction in circulating iron in those with the lowest hemoglobin levels (tertile 1). CONCLUSION: Dietary weight loss is an effective treatment program to manage obesity-related iron and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid disorders, particularly for middle-aged women with obesity and iron overload.
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Suplementos Nutricionais , Membrana Eritrocítica , Ácidos Graxos Ômega-3 , Óleos de Peixe , Hemoglobinas , Homeostase , Ferro , Obesidade , Redução de Peso , Humanos , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Ácidos Graxos Ômega-3/administração & dosagem , Obesidade/dietoterapia , Obesidade/complicações , Obesidade/sangue , Obesidade/metabolismo , Óleos de Peixe/administração & dosagem , Ferro/sangue , Ferro/metabolismo , Membrana Eritrocítica/metabolismo , Hemoglobinas/metabolismo , Hemoglobinas/análise , Dieta Redutora , Adulto , Restrição Calórica , Fosfolipídeos/sangueRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Lumbar spine and pelvic fractures(LPF) are combined with peripheral ligament injuries(PLI), frequently. It has been reported that the site of fracture injury is usually paralleled by the secretion of inflammatory proteins. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between 91 circulating inflammatory proteins and LPF and PLI by using a Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with 91 circulating inflammatory proteins, as exposures were selected from a large genome-wide association study (GWAS). The genetic variant data for LPF and PLI as outcomes from the FinnGen consortium. The inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) method was utilized as the main analysis for exposures and outcomes. In addition, the final results were reinforced by the methods of MR Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode. The sensitivity analyses were used to validate the robustness of results and ensure the absence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. MR-Steiger was used to assess whether the causal direction was correct to avoid reverse causality. RESULTS: This study has shown that Beta-nerve growth factor(Beta-NGF) and Interferon gamma(IFN-gamma) are both involved in the occurrence of LPF and PLI, and they are reducing the risk of occurrence(OR:0.800, 95%CI: 0.650-0.983; OR:0.723, 95%CI:0.568-0.920 and OR:0.812, 95%CI:0.703-0.937; OR:0.828, 95%CI:0.700-0.980). Similarly, Axin-1 and Sulfotransferase 1A1 (SULT-1A1) were causally associated with LPF(OR:0.687, 95%CI:0.501-0.942 and OR:1.178,95%CI:1.010-1.373). Furthermore, Interleukin-4(IL-4), Macrophage inflammatory protein 1a(MIP-1a), and STAM binding protein(STAM-BP) were causally associated with PLI(OR:1.236, 95% CI: 1.058-1.443; OR:1.107, 95% CI: 1.008-1.214 and OR:0.759, 95% CI: 0.617-0.933). The influence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy were further excluded by sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights into the relationship between circulating inflammatory proteins and LPF and PLI, and may provide new clues for predicting this risk.
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Fraturas Ósseas , Estudo de Associação Genômica Ampla , Humanos , Análise da Randomização Mendeliana , Vértebras Lombares , Região LombossacralRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To predict and analyse the unfavourable outcomes of early applicated percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy for lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: Information of 426 patients treated by early applicated percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) at our hospital from June 2017 to October 2021 in addition to 17 other features was collected. The risk factors were selected by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method (LASSO) regression. Then, a prediction model (nomogram) was established to predict the unfavourable outcomes of using the risk factors selected from LASSO regression. Bootstrap (n = 1000) was used to perform the internal validation, and the performance of the model was assessed by the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curve, and calibration curve. The decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC) were used to assess the clinical utility of the model, respectively. RESULTS: Finally, 53 of 426 patients showed unfavourable outcomes. Five potential factors, Modic change, Calcification, Lumbar epidural steroid injection preoperative, Articular process hyperplasia and cohesion, and Laminoplasty technique, were selected according to the LASSO regression, that identified the predictors to establish nomogram model. Meanwhile, the C-index of the prediction nomogram was 0.847, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value was 0.847, and the interval bootstrapping (n = 1000) validation C-index was 0.809. The model has good practicability for clinics according to the DCA and CIC. CONCLUSION: This nomogram model has good predictive performance and clinical practicability, which could provide a certain basis for predicting unfavourable outcomes of early applicated PEID for LDH.
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Discotomia Percutânea , Deslocamento do Disco Intervertebral , Humanos , Deslocamento do Disco Intervertebral/cirurgia , Deslocamento do Disco Intervertebral/etiologia , Nomogramas , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do Tratamento , Vértebras Lombares/cirurgia , Discotomia Percutânea/métodos , Endoscopia/métodosRESUMO
Response surface models (RSMs) are a new trend in modern anesthesia. RSMs have demonstrated significant applicability in the field of anesthesia. However, the comparative analysis between RSMs and logistic regression (LR) in different surgeries remains relatively limited in the current literature. We hypothesized that using a total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) technique with the response surface model (RSM) and logistic regression (LR) would predict the emergence from anesthesia in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracotomy surgery (VATS). This study aimed to prove that LR, like the RSM, can be used to improve patient safety and achieve enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). This was a prospective, observational study with data reanalysis. Twenty-nine patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class II and III) who underwent VATS for elective pulmonary or mediastinal surgery under TIVA were enrolled. We monitored the emergence from anesthesia, and the precise time point of regained response (RR) was noted. The influence of varying concentrations was examined and incorporated into both the RSM and LR. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area for Greco and LR models was 0.979 (confidence interval: 0.987 to 0.990) and 0.989 (confidence interval: 0.989 to 0.990), respectively. The two models had no significant differences in predicting the probability of regaining response. In conclusion, the LR model was effective and can be applied to patients undergoing VATS or other procedures of similar modalities. Furthermore, the RSM is significantly more sophisticated and has an accuracy similar to that of the LR model; however, the LR model is more accessible. Therefore, the LR model is a simpler tool for predicting arousal in patients undergoing VATS under TIVA with Remifentanil and Propofol.
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In this work, a focused ultrasonic radiator is proposed for cooling the electrical heating elements in the focal region, and its working characteristics are investigated. The analyses of the FEM computational and flow field visualization test results indicate that focused ultrasound can generate forced convective heat transfer by the acoustic streaming in the focal region, which can cool the heating elements effectively. Experiments show that when the input voltage is 30Vp-p and the ambient temperature is 25 °C, the focused ultrasonic radiator can cause the surface temperature of the heating element (high-temperature alumina ceramic heating plate with a diameter of 5 mm) in the focal region to drop from 100 °C to about 55 °C. When the diameter of the electrical heating element is changed from 5 mm to 30 mm, the cooling effect is similar in the focal region. Compared with a fan, the focused ultrasound radiator has a shorter cooling time and a more concentrated cooling area. The focused ultrasonic radiator proposed in this work is suitable for some special environments.
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OBJECTIVE: Only a few studies have investigated the gap range of motion (gROM) in cervical myelopathy or deformity caused by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the individual gROM and the postoperative clinical outcomes of patients with OPLL. METHODS: Consecutive patients of cervical myelopathy caused by OPLL were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale scores of the neck and arm pain and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores. Radiologic measurements included flexion ROM (fROM), which was defined as the difference of cervical lordosis in flexion and neutral positions, extension ROM (eROM), defined as the difference between neutral and extension positions, and gROM, defined as the difference between fROM and eROM. Patients were grouped by the values of gROM, and comparisons of all outcomes were made between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 42 patients underwent surgery. The patients with greater gROM did not differ from those with smaller gROM by demographic characteristics. During follow-up (mean 45.8 months), both groups had similar improvements, but the C5 palsy rates were higher in the greater gROM group than in the smaller gROM group (71% and 22%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous circumferential decompression and fixation is an effective surgical option for patients with cervical myelopathy caused by OPLL. A higher rate of postoperative C5 palsy was observed in the patients with greater gROMs after surgery, although all patients presented with similar clinical improvements.
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Laminoplastia , Ossificação do Ligamento Longitudinal Posterior , Doenças da Medula Espinal , Humanos , Ligamentos Longitudinais/cirurgia , Osteogênese , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do Tratamento , Vértebras Cervicais/diagnóstico por imagem , Vértebras Cervicais/cirurgia , Doenças da Medula Espinal/diagnóstico por imagem , Doenças da Medula Espinal/etiologia , Doenças da Medula Espinal/cirurgia , Ossificação do Ligamento Longitudinal Posterior/complicações , Ossificação do Ligamento Longitudinal Posterior/diagnóstico por imagem , Ossificação do Ligamento Longitudinal Posterior/cirurgia , Descompressão Cirúrgica/efeitos adversos , Amplitude de Movimento Articular , Laminoplastia/efeitos adversos , Paralisia/cirurgiaRESUMO
Ultrasound has been used in biosample disruption such as disruption of algal cell and DNA. New structure of ultrasonic biosample disruptor (UBD) needs to be explored to increase the energy efficiency. In this study, an UBD with two triangular teeth on the bottom radiation face of the water tank has been proposed, to concentrate the acoustic energy into the slot between the two neighboring triangular teeth, in order to raise the acoustic energy utilization and fragmentation performance. The acoustic energy concentration into the slot is verified by the FEM computation, and the improvement of fragmentation performance is experimentally confirmed with spirulina and tribonema, compared to the traditional UBD which has a flat radiation face. The number proportion of fragment in the length range of 10-20 µm generated by the UBD proposed in this work is 17.08% and 10.82% more than that generated by the traditional UBD for the two samples, respectively. Besides, the UBD proposed in this work has a much smaller standard deviation of DNA fragment length (47 bp) than the traditional UBD (249 bp), with a similar mean length of fragments. Moreover, the maximum weight proportion of fragment in the range of 100-300 bp, generated by the UBD proposed in this work, is 71.4%.
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Ubiquitinas , Ultrassom , Ubiquitinas/genética , DNARESUMO
Sarcopenia, characterized by muscle loss, negatively affects the elderly's physical activity and survival. Enhancing protein and polyphenol intake, possibly through the supplementation of fermented black soybean koji product (BSKP), may alleviate sarcopenia by addressing anabolic deficiencies and gut microbiota dysbiosis because of high contents of polyphenols and protein in BSKP. This study aimed to examine the effects of long-term supplementation with BSKP on mitigating sarcopenia in the elderly and the underlying mechanisms. BSKP was given to 46 participants over 65 years old with early sarcopenia daily for 10 weeks. The participants' physical condition, serum biochemistry, inflammatory cytokines, antioxidant activities, microbiota composition, and metabolites in feces were evaluated both before and after the intervention period. BSKP supplementation significantly increased the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index and decreased the low-density lipoprotein level. BSKP did not significantly alter the levels of inflammatory factors, but significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes. BSKP changed the beta diversity of gut microbiota and enhanced the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae_UCG_013, Lactobacillus_murinus, Algibacter, Bacillus, Gordonibacter, Porphyromonas, and Prevotella_6. Moreover, BSKP decreased the abundance of Akkermansia and increased the fecal levels of butyric acid. Positive correlations were observed between the relative abundance of BSKP-enriched bacteria and the levels of serum antioxidant enzymes and fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and Gordonibacter correlated negatively with serum low-density lipoprotein. In summary, BSKP attenuated age-related sarcopenia by inducing antioxidant enzymes and SCFAs via gut microbiota regulation. Therefore, BSKP holds potential as a high-quality nutrient source for Taiwan's elderly, especially in conditions such as sarcopenia.
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Microbioma Gastrointestinal , Sarcopenia , Humanos , Idoso , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/fisiologia , Sarcopenia/prevenção & controle , Proteínas de Plantas , Polifenóis , Antioxidantes , Vida Independente , Taiwan , Músculo Esquelético/metabolismo , Ácidos Graxos Voláteis/metabolismo , Lipoproteínas LDL , Suplementos NutricionaisRESUMO
Introduction: Short-term spinal cord stimulation (stSCS) is an effective treatment for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). However, how exactly stSCS affects time-dynamic intrinsic brain activity in PHN patients is not clear. The purpose of this study was to examine the static and dynamic variability of neural activity in PHN patients after stSCS. Methods: In this study, 10 patients with PHN underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) at baseline and after SCS. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and dynamic ALFF (dALFF) were used to investigate the static and dynamic variability of neural activity in PHN patients after stSCS. We additionally examined the associations between clinical parameters and functional changes in the brain. Results: There was a significant increase in dALFF in the left precuneus and right superior parietal gyrus, and a decrease in dALFF in the left inferior temporal gyrus, right gyrus rectus, left superior temporal gyrus, right orbitofrontal cortex, and left orbitofrontal cortex. There was significantly increased ALFF in the right inferior temporal gyrus, and decreased ALFF in the right lingual gyrus, left superior parietal gyrus, right superior parietal gyrus, and left precuneus. Furthermore, Pittsburgh sleep quality index scores were positively associated with dALFF changes in the left superior temporal gyrus and left orbitofrontal cortex. Hospital anxiety and depression scale scores and continuous pain scores exhibited significant negative correlation with dALFF changes in the right superior parietal gyrus. Conclusion: This study indicated that stSCS is able to cause dALFF changes in PHN patients, thus stSCS might alter brain functions to relieve pain, sleep, and mood symptoms. The findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of stSCS efficacy in the treatment of patients with PHN.
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Optical chaos communication encounters difficulty in high-speed transmission due to the challenge of realizing wideband chaos synchronization. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a wideband chaos synchronization using discrete-mode semiconductor lasers (DMLs) in a master-slave open-loop configuration. The DML can generate wideband chaos with a 10-dB bandwidth of 30â GHz under simple external mirror feedback. By injecting the wideband chaos into a slave DML, an injection-locking chaos synchronization with synchronization coefficient of 0.888 is realized. A parameter range with frequency detuning of -18.75â GHz to approximately 1.25â GHz under strong injection is identified for yielding the wideband synchronization. In addition, we find it more susceptible to achieve the wideband synchronization using the slave DML with lower bias current and smaller relaxation oscillation frequency.
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The zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are regarded as the most potential energy storage device for the next generation. However, the zinc anode passivation and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline electrolyte situations inhibit the zinc plate working efficiency, which needs to improve zinc solvation and better electrolyte strategy. In this work, we propose a design of new electrolyte by using a polydentate ligand to stabilize the zinc ion divorced from the zinc anode. The formation of the passivation film is suppressed greatly, compared to the traditional electrolyte. The characterization result presents that the quantity of the passivation film is reduced to nearly 33% of pure KOH result. Besides, triethanolamine (TEA) as an anionic surfactant inhibits the HER effect to improve the efficiency of the zinc anode. The discharging and recycling test indicates that the specific capacity of the battery with the effect of TEA is improved to nearly 85 mA h/cm2 compared to 0.21 mA h/cm2 in 0.5 mol/L KOH, which is 350 times the result of the blank group. The electrochemical analysis results also indicate that zinc anode self-corrosion is palliated. With density function theory, calculation results prove the new complex existence and structure in electrolytes by the data of the molecular orbital (highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital). A new theory of multi-dentate ligand inhibiting passivation is elicited and provides a new direction for ZABs' electrolyte design.
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Oxidative stress and gut dysbiosis have been known to precede Parkinson's disease (PD). An antioxidant-rich product, mangosteen pericarp (MP), has the ability to counterbalance excessive free radicals and the imbalanced gut microbiota composition, suggesting the MP's capacity to delay PD progression. In this study, we explored the effects of two doses of MP extract in a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD rat model. We revealed that the 8-week supplementation of a low dose (LMP) and a high dose of the MP extract (HMP) improved motor function, as observed in decreased contralateral rotation, improved time spent on rod, and higher dopamine binding transporter (DAT) in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). The MP extract, especially the HMP, also increased antioxidant-related gene expressions, restored muscle mitochondrial function, and remodeled fecal microbiota composition, which were followed by reduced reactive oxygen species levels in brain and inflammation in plasma. Importantly, bacterial genera Sutterella, Rothia, and Aggregatibacter, which were negatively correlated with antioxidant gene expressions, decreased in the HMP group. It is imperative to note that in addition to directly acting as an antioxidant to reduce excessive free radicals, MP extract might also increase antioxidant state by rebuilding gut microbiota, thereby enhanced anti-inflammatory capacity and restored mitochondrial function to attenuate motor deficit in 6-OHDA-induced PD-like condition. All in all, MP extract is a potential candidate for auxiliary therapy for PD.
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Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus both contain unique polyphenols called phlorotannins. Phlorotannins reportedly possess various pharmacological activities. A previous study reported that the activity of phlorotannin is strongly correlated with the normalization of metabolic function, and phlorotannins are extremely promising nutrients for use in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. To date, no study has explored the antihyperlipidemic effects of phlorotannins from A. nodosum and F. vesiculosus in animal models. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of phlorotannins using a rat model of high-energy diet (HED)-induced hyperlipidemia. The results showed that the rats that were fed an HED and treated with phlorotannin-rich extract from A. nodosum and F. vesiculosus had significantly lower serum fasting blood sugar (FBS), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC), triacylglyceride (TG) and free fatty acids (FFAs) levels and hepatic TG level and had higher serum insulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and lipase activity in their fat tissues than in the case with the rats that were fed the HED alone. A histopathological analysis revealed that phlorotannin-rich extract could significantly reduce the size of adipocytes around the epididymis. In addition, the rats treated with phlorotannin-rich extract had significantly lowered interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities than did those in the HED group. These results suggested that the phlorotannin-rich extract stimulated lipid metabolism and may have promoted lipase activity in rats with HED-induced hyperlipidemia. Our results indicated that A. nodosum and F. vesiculosus, marine algae typically used as health foods, have strong antihyperlipidemic effects and may, therefore, be useful for preventing atherosclerosis. These algae may be incorporated into antihyperlipidemia pharmaceuticals and functional foods.
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Ascophyllum , Fucus , Hiperlipidemias , Doenças Metabólicas , Masculino , Ratos , Animais , Ascophyllum/metabolismo , Metabolismo dos Lipídeos , Hiperlipidemias/tratamento farmacológico , Hiperlipidemias/etiologia , Doenças Metabólicas/tratamento farmacológico , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêutico , Inflamação/tratamento farmacológico , Dieta , Lipase/metabolismo , Hipolipemiantes/uso terapêutico , Colesterol/metabolismoRESUMO
As an emerging battery technology, the Al-air flow battery (AAFB) exhibits high energy density due to the recycling of electrolytes, thus showing great potential as a type of clean and sustainable energy storage system. Conventionally, it employs an external mechanical pump to recycle the electrolyte. In this work, the saltwater AAFB in which the electrolyte is recycled by the ultrasonic capillary effect (rather than a mechanical pump) and the reaction chamber is agitated by ultrasonic vibration, is proposed and investigated. Our numerical simulations show that a travelling ultrasonic wave in the electrolyte flow system causes the capillary flow and agitation. The experimental results show that the percentage increase of the peak power density (relative to that with static electrolyte) can be up to about 7.5 times of that with the electrolyte flow driven by a mechanical pump, under the same electrolyte flow rate and concentration (3.3 ml min-1 and 3 M NaCl). The optimal peak power density, which can be achieved by optimizing the reaction chamber thickness, electrolyte concentration and ultrasonic vibration velocity, is 43.88 mW cm-2. This work illustrates that the acoustofluidic method can not only improve the discharge performance of the saltwater AAFB effectively, but also greatly decrease the energy consumption, weight and volume of the electrolyte driving unit of the AAFB. In addition, analyses based on experimental results show that the energy gain of a series/parallel battery system formed by multiple identical cells can be larger than one, if the number of cells in the system is large enough.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) via the inner border of the inferior pedicle approach for downmigrated disc herniation. METHODS: Seventeen patients who had downmigrated disc herniation were included in this study from May 2020 to February 2021. After PEID via the inner border of the inferior pedicle approach, a retrospective study was conducted on all patients. Radiologic findings were investigated, and based on the level of migration seen on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), participants were divided into two types (high-grade and low-grade migrations). Preoperative, 1st post-operative day, 3rd post-operative month, and the final follow-up visual analogue scale (VAS) assessments for back and leg pain and preoperative, 3rd post-operative month, and the final follow-up Oswestry disability index (ODI) evaluations were performed. The clinical effects at the final follow-up were assessed by the modified MacNab criterion. RESULTS: All patients successfully completed surgery. There were 10 males and 7 females in the group. These patients were 42 years old on average (range, 25-68 years). Four and 13 patients had downmigrated disc herniation with high-grade and low-grade, respectively, on MRI. The mean follow-up duration was 10.47 ± 1.84 months (range, 8-14 months). The mean VAS score for back and leg improved from 5.18 ± 0.81 preoperatively to 1.35 ± 0.49 at the final follow-up (P < 0.05) and 6.94 ± 0.66 preoperatively to 1.47 ± 0.51 at the final follow-up (P < 0.05), respectively. The mean ODI score improved from 48.00 ± 3.64 preoperatively to 18.71 ± 1.31 at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). According to the modified MacNab criterion, 15 patients (88.2%) obtained excellent, while the rest 2 patients (11.8%) reported good outcomes. CONCLUSION: PEID via the inner border of the inferior pedicle approach could be a good alternative option for the treatment of downmigrated disc herniation.
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Discotomia Percutânea , Deslocamento do Disco Intervertebral , Adulto , Discotomia , Discotomia Percutânea/métodos , Endoscopia/métodos , Feminino , Humanos , Deslocamento do Disco Intervertebral/diagnóstico por imagem , Deslocamento do Disco Intervertebral/cirurgia , Vértebras Lombares/diagnóstico por imagem , Vértebras Lombares/cirurgia , Masculino , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Previous studies have implicated abnormal functional coordination in brain regions of smokers. Neuroimaging studies demonstrated alternations in brain connectivity by using the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) method which arbitrarily chooses specific networks or seed regions as priori selections and cannot provide a full picture of the FC changes in chronic smokers. The aim of this study was to investigate the whole-brain functional coordination measured by functional connectivity density (FCD). As the variance of brain activity, dynamic FCD (dFCD) was performed to investigate dynamic changes of whole-brain integration in chronic smokers. In total, 120 chronic smokers and 56 nonsmokers were recruited, and static FCD and dFCD were performed to investigate aberrance of whole-brain functional coordination. Shared aberrance in visual areas has been found in both static and dFCD study in chronic smokers. Furthermore, the results exhibited that both heavy and light smokers demonstrated decreased dFCD in the visual cortex and left precuneus, and also increased dFCD in the right orbitofrontal cortex, left caudate, right putamen, and left thalamus compared with nonsmokers. In addition, alternations of dFCD have been found between heavy and light smokers. Furthermore, the dFCD variations showed significant positive correlation with smoking-related behaviors. The results demonstrated that chronic smokers not only have some initial areas, but also have some regions associated with severity of cigarette smoking. Lastly, dFCD could provide more subtle variations in chronic smokers, and the combination of static and dFCD may deepen our understanding of the brain alternations in chronic smokers.
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With increased age, the appetite, chewing, swallowing, and digestive ability gradually decrease. Previous studies have shown that poor oral health is associated with an inadequate intake of macro and micronutrients and malnutrition. Therefore, improving the diet of elderly people and promoting nutrient absorption will help to improve the quality of life for elderly people. However, few studies have predicted their oral ability based on different food textures and other factors. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between oral assessment and texture parameters of high-protein black soybean koji products in elderly people in a nursing home. We used cross-sectional study design for seventy-nine residents aged 65 years and older were recruited. Three different texture of cookies, including normal cookie hardness (1.4 × 105 N/m2), minced cookie hardness (4.4 × 104 N/m2), and pureed cookie hardness (1.4 × 104 N/m2) were provided to participants to test the oral status. An oral assessment scale was used by a dentist to evaluate the oral status of the elderly participants. Different cookie textures showed a significant positive correlation with pronunciation (r = 0.237, p < 0.05), face (r = 0.371, p < 0.01), tongue (r = 0.362, p < 0.01), pharynx (r = 0.256, p < 0.05), swallowing (r = 0.272, p < 0.05), breathing (r = 0.315, p < 0.01), and the total oral score (r = 0.339, p < 0.01). We also used the high-protein black soybean koji products combined with elderly people's comprehensions in a predictive model that had a moderately high correlation to predict the oral status in the elderly group (r = 0.612). We concluded that the high-protein black soybean koji product was associated with the oral ability of elderly people in a nursing home in Taiwan. Our findings indicated that elderly people could immediately understand the correct food texture.
RESUMO
Acoustic black holes offer superior capabilities for slowing down and trapping acoustic waves for various applications such as metastructures, energy harvesting, and vibration and noise control. However, no studies have considered the linear and nonlinear effects of acoustic black holes on micro/nanoparticles in fluids. This study presents acoustofluidic black holes (AFBHs) that leverage controlled interactions between AFBH-trapped acoustic wave energy and particles in droplets to enable versatile particle manipulation functionalities, such as translation, concentration, and patterning of particles. We investigated the AFBH-enabled wave energy trapping and wavelength shrinking effects, as well as the trapped wave energy-induced acoustic radiation forces on particles and acoustic streaming in droplets. This study not only fills the gap between the emerging fields of acoustofluidics and acoustic black holes but also leads to a class of AFBH-based in-droplet particle manipulation toolsets with great potential for many applications, such as biosensing, point-of-care testing, and drug screening.