Metabolomic analysis reveals biogenic selenium nanoparticles improve the meat quality of thigh muscle in heat-stressed broilers is related to the regulation of ferroptosis pathway.

Heat stress (HS) causes oxidative damage and abnormal metabolism of muscle, thus impairing the meat quality in broilers. Selenium is an indispensable element for enhancing antioxidant systems. In our previous study, we synthesized a novel type of biogenic selenium nanoparticles synthesized with alginate oligosaccharides (SeNPs-AOS), and found that the particle size of Se is 80 nm and the Se content is 8% in the SeNPs-AOS; and dietary 5 mg/kg SeNPs-AOS has been shown to be effective against HS in broilers. However, whether SeNPs-AOS can mitigate HS-induced the impairment of thigh muscle quality in broilers is still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of dietary SeNPs-AOS on meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and metabolomics of thigh muscle in broilers under HS. A total of 192 twenty-one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates per group (8 broilers per replicate) according to a 2 × 2 experimental design: thermoneutral group (TN, broilers raised under 23±1.5°C); TN+SeNPs-AOS group (TN group supplemented 5 mg/kg SeNPS-AOS); HS group (broilers raised under 33 ± 2°C for 10 h/d); and HS + SeNPs-AOS group (HS group supplemented 5 mg/kg SeNPS-AOS). The results showed that HS increased the freezing loss, cooking loss, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of thigh muscle, whereas decreased the total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as downregulated the mRNA expression of SOD2, CAT, GPX3, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), selenoprotein S (SELENOS), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), GPX4, and ferroportin 1 (Fpn1) of thigh muscle (P < 0.05). Dietary SeNPS-AOS reduced the b* value, elevated the pH0min value and the activities of T-SOD, GSH-Px, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the mRNA expression levels of GSTT1, GSTA3, GPX1, GPX3, ferritin heavy polypeptide-1 (FTH1), and Fpn1 of thigh muscle in broilers under HS (P < 0.05). Nontargeted metabolomics analysis identified a total of 79 metabolites with significant differences among the four groups, and the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in 8 metabolic pathways including glutathione metabolism and ferroptosis (P < 0.05). In summary, dietary 5 mg/kg SeNPs-AOS (Se content of 8%) could alleviate HS-induced impairment of meat quality by improving the oxidative damage, metabolic disorders and ferroptosis of thigh muscle in broilers challenged with HS. Suggesting that the SeNPs-AOS may be used as a novel nano-modifier for meat quality in broilers raised in thermal environment.

Assessing psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Sleep Quality Questionnaire among healthcare students.

OBJECTIVE: The sleep of healthcare students is worth discovering. Mental health and self-rated health are thought to be associated with sleep quality. As such, valid instruments to assess sleep quality in healthcare students are crucial and irreplaceable. This study aimed to investigate the measurement properties of the Sleep Quality Questionnaire (SQQ) for Chinese healthcare students. METHODS: Two longitudinal assessments were undertaken among healthcare students, with a total of 595, between December 2020 and January 2021. Measures include the Chinese version of the SQQ, Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), Self-Rated Health Questionnaire (SRHQ), and sociodemographic questionnaire. Structural validity through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine factor structure of the SQQ. T-tests and ANOVAs were used to examine sociodemographic differences in sleep quality scores. Multi Group CFA and longitudinal CFA were respectively used to assess cross-sectional invariance and longitudinal invariance across two-time interval, i.e., cross-cultural validity. Construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were correspondingly examined via Spearman correlation, Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega, and intraclass correlation coefficient. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine incremental validity of the SQQ based on the PHQ-4 and SRHQ as indicators of the criterion variables. RESULTS: CFA results suggested that the two-factor model of the SQQ-9 (item 2 excluded) had the best fit. The SQQ-9 scores differed significantly by age, grade, academic stage, hobby, stress coping strategy, anxiety, depression, and self-rated health subgroups. Measurement invariance was supported in terms of aforesaid subgroups and across two time intervals. In correlation and regression analyses, anxiety, depression, and self-rated health were moderately strong predictors of sleep quality. The SQQ-9 had good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. CONCLUSION: Good measurement properties suggest that the SQQ is a promising and practical measurement instrument for assessing sleep quality of Chinese healthcare students.

NRF1 mitigates motor dysfunction and dopamine neuron degeneration in mice with Parkinson's disease by promoting GLRX m6 A methylation through upregulation of METTL3 transcription.

OBJECTIVE: The feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the heavy dopaminergic neuron loss of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), while glutaredoxin (GLRX) has been discovered to modulate the death of dopaminergic neurons. In this context, this study was implemented to uncover the impact of GRX1 on motor dysfunction and dopamine neuron degeneration in PD mice and its potential mechanism. METHODS: A PD mouse model was established via injection with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) into mice. After gain- and loss-of-function assays in mice, motor coordination was assessed using rotarod, pole, and open-field tests, and neurodegeneration in mouse SNpc tissues was determined using immunohistochemistry of tyrosine hydroxylase and Nissl staining. NRF1, methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), and GLRX expression in SNpc tissues were evaluated using qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. The N6-methyladenosine (m6 A) levels of GLRX mRNA were examined using MeRIP. The relationship among NRF1, METTL3, and GLRX was determined by RIP, ChIP, and dual luciferase assays. RESULTS: Low GLRX, METTL3, and NRF1 expression were observed in MPTP-induced mice, accompanied by decreased m6 A modification level of GLRX mRNA. GLRX overexpression alleviated motor dysfunction and dopamine neuron degeneration in MPTP-induced mice. METTL3 promoted m6 A modification and IGF2BP2-dependent stability of GLRX mRNA, and NRF1 increased METTL3 expression by binding to METTL3 promoter. NRF1 overexpression increased m6 A modification of GLRX mRNA and repressed motor dysfunction and dopamine neuron degeneration in MPTP-induced mice, which was counteracted by METTL3 knockdown. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, NRF1 constrained motor dysfunction and dopamine neuron degeneration in MPTP-induced PD mice by activating the METTL3/GLRX axis.

Biogenic Selenium Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Alginate Oligosaccharides Attenuate Heat Stress-Induced Impairment of Breast Meat Quality via Regulating Oxidative Stress, Metabolome and Ferroptosis in Broilers.

Selenium (Se) is an indispensable trace element with versatile functions in antioxidant defense in poultry. In our previous study, we synthesized a novel type of biogenic selenium nanoparticle based on alginate oligosaccharides (SeNPs-AOS), and found that the particles are sized around 80 nm with an 8% Se content, and the dietary addition of 5 mg/kg of SeNPs-AOS could effectively alleviate the deleterious effects of heat stress (HS) in broilers, but it is still unclear whether SeNPs-AOS can improve the meat quality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of SeNPs-AOS on breast meat quality in heat-stressed broilers, and explore the relevant mechanisms. Birds at the age of 21 days were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates per group (eight broilers per replicate) according to a 2 × 2 experimental design, using HS (33 ± 2 °C, 10 h/day vs. thermoneutral, TN, under 23 ± 1.5 °C) and SeNPs-AOS (5 mg/kg feed vs. no inclusion) as variables. The results showed that dietary SeNPs-AOS decreased the cooking loss (p < 0.05), freezing loss (p < 0.001), and shear force (p < 0.01) of breast muscle in heat-stressed broilers. The non-targeted metabolomics analysis of the breast muscle identified 78 differential metabolites between the HS and HS + SeNPs-AOS groups, mainly enriched in the arginine and proline metabolism, ß-alanine metabolism, D-arginine and D-ornithine metabolism, pantothenate, and CoA biosynthesis pathways (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, supplementation with SeNPs-AOS increased the levels of the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), the activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the breast muscle (p < 0.05) in broilers under HS exposure. Additionally, SeNPs-AOS upregulated the mRNA expression of CAT, GPX1, GPX3, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), masculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma G (MafG), MafK, selenoprotein W (SELENOW), SELENOK, ferritin heavy polypeptide-1 (FTH1), Ferroportin 1 (Fpn1), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) (p < 0.05), while it downregulated Kelch-like ECH-associated pro-36 tein 1 (Keap1) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide Synthase 2 (PTGS2) expression (p < 0.05) in broilers under HS. These findings demonstrated that the dietary addition of SeNPs-AOS mitigated HS-induced oxidative damage and metabolite changes in the breast muscle of broilers, which may be related to the regulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway and selenoprotein synthesis. In addition, SeNPs-AOS upregulated the breast muscle gene expression of anti-ferroptosis-related molecules in broilers under HS, suggesting that SeNPs-AOS can be used as novel Se supplements against HS in broilers.

Measurement Properties and Optimal Cutoff Point of the WHO-5 Among Chinese Healthcare Students.

Purpose: The World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is widely used to assess subjective well-being. Nevertheless, measurement invariance and optimal cutoff point of the WHO-5 have not been examined in Chinese samples. We aimed to assess measurement properties of the Chinese version of the WHO-5 (WHO-5-C) among healthcare students. Patients and Methods: A two-wave longitudinal assessment was conducted among 343 Chinese healthcare students from September to November 2022. Measurement properties of the WHO-5-C were assessed through structural validity using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), measurement invariance using multigroup CFA (MGCFA) and longitudinal CFA (LCFA), convergent validity using correlation analysis with the Self-Rated Health Questionnaire (SRHQ) and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), reliability using internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and optimal cutoff point using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: The WHO-5-C demonstrated satisfactory structural validity with comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.968 at baseline and 0.980 at follow-up, and adequate measurement invariance in different sociodemographic variables at baseline (gender, age, major, home location, being only child, monthly household income, part-time job, physical exercise, hobby, frequency of visiting home, and stress coping strategy) (CFI changes [ΔCFI] = -0.009-0.003) and over a week (ΔCFI = -0.006-0.000). The WHO-5-C also had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.907-0.934; McDonald's ω = 0.908-0.935) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.803). Convergent validity was supported by moderate correlations of the WHO-5-C with the SRHQ and PHQ-4. The optimal cutoff point of the WHO-5-C was found to be 50, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.882 at baseline data, with sensitivity of 0.803 and specificity of 0.762 at follow-up. Conclusion: The WHO-5-C demonstrated adequate measurement properties, especially concerning cross-sectional and longitudinal measurement invariance, with a recommended optimal cutoff point of ≥ 50 for assessing adequate level of psychological well-being in healthcare students.

The ambiguous "internal carotid artery"-Ultrasound diagnosis of congenital absence of the internal carotid artery: A case report and review of the literature.

RATIONALE: Congenital anatomical variation of internal carotid artery (ICA) rarely occurs, and congenital absence of the ICA is even rarer. Few reports are available on the diagnosis of congenital absence of the ICA by carotid doppler ultrasound (CDUS), and most cases have been identified by computed tomographic angiography (CTA) or digital subtraction angiography (DSA). PATIENT CONCERNS: A 61-year-old male was admitted to our hospital due to dizziness for more than half a month. He was hypertensive and had been drinking and smoking for many years. DIAGNOSES: The patient was diagnosed by carotid doppler ultrasound with congenital absence of the right ICA, confirmed by CTA and DSA. A nodular aneurysm in the anterior communicating artery was observed by CTA and DSA. INTERVENTIONS: After relevant preoperative examinations were performed, the patient underwent right craniotomy and clipping of the aneurysm under general anesthesia 8 days after admission. OUTCOMES: The patient recovered well after surgery and no relapses has been observed. LESSONS: Congenital absence of the ICA is rare and usually diagnosed by CTA or DSA in clinical practice. If radiologists do not have adequate knowledge about the associated ultrasonic characteristics, a missed diagnosis may occur. As a noninvasive and rapid screening tool for cervical vascular diseases, carotid doppler ultrasound offers a new approach for the diagnosis of congenital absence of the ICA.

Effect of air pollution on the prevalence of breast and cervical cancer in China: a panel data regression analysis.

The association between the prevalence of breast and cervical cancer in Chinese women and air pollution is obscure. The study aims to analyze the correlation between air pollution and the prevalence of breast and cervical cancer, and whether the gross domestic product (GDP) has a modifying effect on the impact of air pollution on the prevalence of breast and cervical cancer. Extracting panel data from 31 provinces and cities between 2006 and 2020, we evaluated the association between breast and cervical cancer prevalence and pollutant emissions from 2006 to 2015 with two-way fixed-effect models. We also analyzed the interaction between GDP and pollutant emissions and further check the robustness of the moderating effect results using group regression from 2016 to 2020. Cluster robust standard errors were used to correct for the heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation. The coefficients of models show that the coefficients of logarithmic soot and dust emissions are estimated to be significantly positive, and the coefficients of their square terms are significantly negative. The robust results suggest that the relationship between soot and dust emissions and breast or cervical cancer prevalence is non-linear, from 2006 to 2015. In the analysis of particulate matter (PM) data in 2016-2020, the PM-GDP interaction term was also significantly negative, indicating that GDP growth weakened the effect of PM on the prevalence of breast cancer and cervical cancer. In provinces with higher GDP, the indirect effect of PM emissions concerning breast cancer is -0.396 while in provinces with lower GDP, it is about -0.215. The corresponding coefficient concerning cervical cancer is about -0.209 in provinces with higher GDP but not significant in provinces with lower GDP. Our results suggest that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the prevalence of breast cancer and cervical cancer and air pollutants from 2006 to 2015. GDP growth has a significant negative moderating effect on the impact of air pollutants on the prevalence of breast cancer and cervical cancer. PM emissions have a higher effect on the prevalence of breast and cervical cancer in provinces with higher GDP and a lower impact in provinces with lower GDP.

Marine-montane transitions coupled with gill and genetic convergence in extant crustacean.

Marine-terrestrial transition represents an important aspect of organismal evolution that requires numerous morphological and genetic innovations and has been hypothesized to be caused by geological changes. We used talitrid crustaceans with marine-coastal-montane extant species at a global scale to investigate the marine origination and terrestrial adaptation. Using genomic data, we demonstrated that marine ancestors repeatedly colonized montane terrestrial habitats during the Oligocene to Miocene. Biological transitions were well correlated with plate collisions or volcanic island formation, and top-down cladogenesis was observed on the basis of a positive relationship between ancestral habitat elevation and divergence time for montane lineages. We detected convergent variations of convoluted gills and convergent evolution of SMC3 associated with montane transitions. Moreover, using CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis, we proposed that SMC3 potentially regulates the development of exites, such as talitrid gills. Our results provide a living model for understanding biological innovations and related genetic regulatory mechanisms associated with marine-terrestrial transitions.

Metal binding pharmacophore click-derived discovery of new broad-spectrum metallo-ß-lactamase inhibitors.

The emergence of metallo-ß-lactamases (MBLs) confers resistance to nearly all the ß-lactam antibiotics, including carbapenems. Currently, there is a lack of clinically useful MBL inhibitors, making it crucial to discover new inhibitor chemotypes that can potently target multiple clinically relevant MBLs. Herein we report a strategy that utilizes a metal binding pharmacophore (MBP) click approach to identify new broad-spectrum MBL inhibitors. Our initial investigation identified several MBPs including phthalic acid, phenylboronic acid and benzyl phosphoric acid, which were subjected to structural transformations using azide-alkyne click reactions. Subsequent structure-activity relationship analyses led to the identification of several potent broad-spectrum MBL inhibitors, including 73 that manifested IC50 values ranging from 0.00012 µM to 0.64 µM against multiple MBLs. Co-crystallographic studies demonstrated the importance of MBPs in engaging with the MBL active site anchor pharmacophore features, and revealed the unusual two-molecule binding modes with IMP-1, highlighting the critical role of flexible active site loops in recognizing structurally diverse substrates/inhibitors. Our work provides new chemotypes for MBL inhibition and establishes a MBP click-derived paradigm for inhibitor discovery targeting MBLs as well as other metalloenzymes.

FXR1 promotes glioma progression by downregulating microRNA-124-3p through long noncoding RNA FGD5-AS1 upregulation.

OBJECTIVE: As reported, glioma progression is affected by altered FXR1, long non-coding RNA FGD5-AS1, and microRNA (miR)-124-3p. However, relationships among these genes remain unclear. Accordingly, this paper ascertains whether FXR1 manipulates glioma progression via the FGD5-AS1/miR-124-3p axis. METHODS: Glioma tissues were harvested, in which FGD5-AS1 and miR-124-3p levels were examined with qRT-PCR and FXR1 level was assessed with qRT-PCR and western blot. The interaction of miR-124-3p with FGD5-AS1 was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter, RIP, and Pearson correlation coefficient assays, and that of FXR1 with FGD5-AS1 was assessed by RIP and Pearson correlation coefficient assays. Glioma cells were obtained, followed by qRT-PCR detection of miR-124-3p expression. After gain- or loss-of-function assays, EdU, Transwell, and tubule formation assays were performed to determine cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and angiogenesis. Next, the intracranial in situ graft tumor model was established for in vivo verification. RESULTS: FGD5-AS1 and FXR1 levels were high, but miR-124-3p level was low in glioma tissues. Likewise, glioma cells had downregulated miR-124-3p expression. Mechanistically, FGD5-AS1 negatively bound to miR-124-3p, and FXR1 was positively correlated and interacted with FGD5-AS1. miR-124-3p overexpression or FGD5-AS1 or FXR1 knockdown restricted cell invasion, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis in gliomas. miR-124-3p inhibition abrogated the repressive impacts of FXR1 knockdown on the malignant progression of gliomas. Also, FXR1 constrained tumor growth and angiogenesis in mice, which was counterweighed by inhibiting miR-124-3p. CONCLUSION: FXR1 might act as an oncogene in gliomas by declining miR-124-3p through FGD5-AS1.

Marsdenia tenacissima extract prevents the malignant progression of glioma through upregulating lncRNA MEG3 and SFRP1-dependent inhibition of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Recent studies have highlighted the tumor-suppressive effect of Marsdenia tenacissima extract (MTE) on human cancers. This research unveils the potential impact of MTE on glioma and ascertains the relevant molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Glioma cells were treated with MTE, with normal human astrocytes (NHAs) as controls. A battery of function experiments, including the CCK-8 viability test, colony formation assay, scratch migration assay, and Transwell invasion assay, was executed to address the responses of glioma cells to MTE treatment and gain or loss of function of lncMEG3, miR-542-3p, and SFRP1. FISH, RIP, and dual-luciferase reporter assays were adopted for assessing gene interactions. U251-GFP-Luc cells were delivered into nude mice through intracranial injection to develop an orthotopic glioma model for in vivo validation. RESULTS: 200 mg/mL MTE could suppress the proliferating, migrating, and invading properties of glioma cells but not affect those of NHAs. MTE treatment enhanced the expression of lncMEG3, which competes with SFRP1 for binding miR-542-3p. SFRP1 could inactivate the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Animal experimentation substantiated the antitumor activity and mechanism of MTE in nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: MTE suppresses glioma via the lncMEG3/miR-542-3p/SFRP1/Wnt/ß-catenin axis. These findings contribute to a theoretical basis for the use of MTE for glioma patients.

Introduction of Multicomponent Dyes into 2D MOFs: A Strategy to Fabricate White Light-Emitting MOF Composite Nanosheets.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been extensively studied in host-guest chemistry by means of ultrahigh porosities, tunable channels, and component diversities. As the host matrix, MOFs exhibit immense potential in the preparation of single-phase white light-emitting (SPWLE) materials. Nonetheless, it is a great challenge that the size of the introduced guest molecules is limited by MOF pores, which affects the WLE optimization. In this work, two-dimensional (2D) MOFs are first utilized as the host matrices to simultaneously encapsulate red-green-blue fluorescent dyes for SPWLE. Various dyes@2D MOF composites with high-quality WLE performances and ultrathin nanosheet morphologies are directly assembled from 2D MOF precursors and dyes in high yields. Owing to the flexible interlamellar space of 2D MOFs, different types and sizes of guests can be easily introduced, which greatly expands the range of available MOF hosts and guests, making the WLE much more tunable. The strategy of employing 2D MOFs as the host matrices to introduce multicomponent dyes for SPWLE nanosheets resolves the restriction of MOF pores on the guest molecule size and opens a new avenue to rationally design and prepare SPWLE nanosheets that are highly solution-processable.

Depression and Anxiety Mediate the Association between Sleep Quality and Self-Rated Health in Healthcare Students.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate factors associated with sleep quality in healthcare students and to determine whether depressive and anxiety symptoms may explain some of the associations between sleep quality and self-rated health. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study at wave one. METHODS: A total of 637 healthcare students were recruited via a stratified random sampling method in Hangzhou, China. The Sleep Quality Questionnaire (SQQ) and the four-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) were used to assess sleep quality and depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Self-rated health was assessed via a self-developed questionnaire of both physical and psychological health. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the direct and indirect effects of sleep quality on self-rated health through depressive and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: Students engaged in part-time employment (p = 0.022), with poor perceived employment prospects (p = 0.009), and who did not participate in recreational sports (p = 0.008) had worse sleep quality. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant total effect of sleep quality on self-rated health (b = 0.592, p < 0.001), a significant direct effect of both sleep quality and depressive and anxiety symptoms on self-rated health (b = 0.277, 95% CI: 0.032-0.522), and a significant indirect effect of sleep quality on self-rated health through depressive and anxiety symptoms (b = 0.315, 95% CI: 0.174-0.457). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive and anxiety symptoms partially explain the association between sleep quality and self-rated health. Intervening upon sleep quality, depressive, and anxiety symptoms may bolster the self-rated health of healthcare students.

The Chinese Version of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire-13: Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance for Medical Students.

Purpose: Stress may relate to an increased risk of psychological and physical disorders. Thus, a brief and efficient measurement instrument for researchers to measure stress is essentially needed. Participants and Methods: To assess measurement properties of the validated Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire-13 (PSQ-C-13), we conducted a two-wave longitudinal study from September to December, 2021 with a convenient sample of medical students. Results: A two-factor (constraint and imbalance) structure showed good fit indices (Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = 0.972, Tucker-Lewis Index [TLI] = 0.966, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA] = 0.062). Spearman correlations with the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale-10 illustrated that convergent validity of the PSQ-C-13 was relatively satisfactory (r = 0.678 [baseline], 0.753 [follow-up]). Measurement invariance was supported across subgroups (gender, age, home location, single-child status, monthly households' income, and part-time status) and time points. Internal consistency was sound (Cronbach's α = 0.908 [baseline], 0.922 [follow-up]; McDonald's ω = 0.909 [baseline], 0.923 [follow-up]). Stability between time points was good (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient = 0.834). Conclusion: The two factors of the PSQ-C-13 including constraint and imbalance may adequately measure the level of stress on participants. The PSQ-C-13 is a convenient and efficient instrument that contains valid and reliable psychometric properties.

Sleep quality and subjective well-being in healthcare students: examining the role of anxiety and depression.

Objective: Sleep issues, negative emotions, and health conditions are commonly co-occurring, whereas their associations among healthcare students have yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to examine whether anxiety and depression mediate the relationship between sleep quality and subjective well-being in healthcare students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Chinese healthcare students (N = 348). A battery of paper-and-pencil questionnaires-the Sleep Quality Questionnaire (SQQ), World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) were applied. Descriptive analysis with means (standard deviations) and counts (proportions), Spearman correlation analysis between the SQQ, WHO-5, and PHQ-4, and mediation analysis via structural equation models were performed. Results: Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant associations between sleep quality, anxiety and depression, and well-being among healthcare students. Mediation analysis identified that poor sleep quality produced relatively low levels of self-reported well-being, which were entirely attributable to anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Sleep quality was associated with subjective well-being, and this interrelationship was fully mediated by anxiety and depression. Interventions aimed at promoting sleep quality of healthcare students may contribute to promoting their well-being by reducing anxiety and depression.

Direct C(sp3)-H Polyfluoroarylation: Access to Polyfluoroaryl Amino Acids via Rh-Catalyzed Selective C-F Bond Cleavage.

A catalytic selective C-F bond alkylation method for polyfluoroarene with glycinates and derivatives in the presence of a DavePhos-ligated Rh catalyst was developed. This method avoids the preactivation of alkylating reagents and provides an efficient and straightforward route to synthesize a series of polyfluoroaryl amino acids via C(sp3)-H functionalization. This reaction proceeds under mild conditions and exhibits high reactivity and excellent chemoselectivities. Meanwhile, the synthetic potential of this method was demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis, and further transformations proved the application value of the products as well.

MicroRNA-124-3p promotes apoptosis and autophagy of glioma cells by down-regulating CREBRF.

OBJECTIVE: This research was performed to dissect the influence of microRNA (miR)-124-3p on the apoptosis and autophagy of glioma cells and clarify its specific mechanism. METHODS: RT-PCR and western blot were utilized to determine miR-124-3p and CREBRF expression in U251 and T98 cells. After loss- and gain-of-function assays in U251 and T98 cells, glioma cell proliferation, autophagy, and apoptosis were measured by MTT assay, western blot, and flow cytometry, respectively. The relationship between miR-124-3p and CREBRF was examined by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The levels of AKT pathway-related proteins were detected by western blot. RESULTS: MiR-124-3p was lowly expressed and CREBRF was highly expressed in U251 and T98 cells. Overexpression of miR-124-3p or knockdown of CREBRF enhanced apoptosis and autophagy and diminished proliferation of glioma cells. MiR-124-3p negatively targeted CREBRF. MiR-124-3p up-regulation repressed proliferation and facilitated apoptosis and autophagy of glioma cells by diminishing CREBRF expression and blocking the AKT pathway. CONCLUSION: MiR-124-3p accelerates apoptosis and autophagy of glioma cells via CREBRF.

Heat Stress Affects Jejunal Immunity of Yellow-Feathered Broilers and Is Potentially Mediated by the Microbiome.

In the perspective of the global climate change leading to increasing temperature, heat stress (HS) has become a severe issue in broiler production, including the indigenous yellow-feathered broilers. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of HS on jejunal immune response, microbiota structure and their correlation in yellow-feathered broilers. A total of forty female broilers (56-days-old) were randomly and equally divided into normal treatment group (NT group, 21.3 ± 1.2°C, 24 h/day) and HS group (32.5 ± 1.4°C, 8 h/day) with five replicates of each for 4 weeks feeding trial. The results showed that HS exposure increased the contents of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in jejunal mucosa (p < 0.05). The HS exposure up-regulated the relative fold changes of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 (p < 0.01) while down-regulated the relative fold change of IFN-γ in jejunal mucosa (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, HS had no significant impacts on alpha diversity of jejunal microbiota such as Simpson, Chao1 richness estimator (Chao 1), abundance-based coverage estimators (ACE), and Shannon index (p > 0.10). Broilers exposed to HS reduced the jejunal microbial species number at the class and order level (p < 0.05). Moreover, HS decreased the relative abundance of Ruminococcus, Bdellovibrio, and Serratia at the genus level in jejunum (p < 0.05). At the phylum level, four species of bacteria (Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Thermi, and TM7) were significantly associated with immune-related genes expression (p < 0.05). At the genus level, ten species of bacteria were significantly correlated with the expression of immune-related genes (p < 0.05), including Caulobacteraceae, Actinomyces, Ruminococcaceae, Thermus, Bdellovibrio, Clostridiales, Sediminibacterium, Bacteroides, Sphingomonadales and Ruminococcus. In particular, the microbial with significantly different abundances, Ruminococcus and Bdellovibrio, were negatively associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines expression (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrated that HS exposure promoted the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in yellow-feathered broilers' jejunum. The detrimental effects of HS on jejunal immune response might be related to dysbiosis, especially the reduced levels of Ruminococcus and Bdellovibrio.

Mechanism of miR-132-3p Promoting Neuroinflammation and Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's Disease.

The major pathology in Parkinson's disease (PD) is neuron injury induced by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and the activation of microglial cells. The objective of this study is to determine the effect and mechanism of miR-132-3p in regulating neuroinflammation and the degeneration of dopaminergic neuron in PD. The expressions of miR-132-3p in brain tissues of PD patients, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 cells and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mouse models were detected. The effect of miR-132-3p and GLRX in cell viability, apoptosis and inflammation was verified in BV-2 cells. The activation of Iba1 in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase were detected in PD mouse models and the mobility of mouse models was assessed as well. The targeting relationship between miR-132-3p and GLRX was confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Elevated expression of miR-132-3p and decreased expression of GLRX were found in PD patients and cells models. Overexpression of miR-132-3p can induce activation of microglial cells, which can be reversed by GLRX overexpression. Collected evidence in both cell model and mouse models showed the effect of miR-132-3p in enhancing the activation of microglial cells and the loss of microglia cells, which was achieved by mediating GLRX.

Tumor-Suppressive Function of lncRNA-MEG3 in Glioma Cells by Regulating miR-6088/SMARCB1 Axis.

OBJECTIVE: Mounting evidence has elaborated the implication of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis of several cancers, including glioma. However, little was known about the mechanism of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) in the development and progression of glioma. This work is designed to explore the effect of MEG3 on glioma progression and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Expressions of lncRNA-MEG3 and SMARCB1 were detected in human glioblastoma U87 and U251 cell lines. Gain and loss of function of MEG3 or/and miR-6088 was performed in U87 and U251 cells to observe its effect on cell proliferation and migration as well as on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related markers. Luciferase reporter gene assay was employed to inspect the interactions among MEG3, miR-6088, and SMARCB1. RESULTS: MEG3 and SMARCB1 expressions were downregulated in glioma cells. Transfection of pcDNA3.1-MEG3 or pcDNA3.1-SMARCB1 plasmids could clearly block cell proliferation, migration, and EMT progression. MEG3 functions as a sponge for miR-6088, while SMARCB1 is a downstream protein of miR-6088. Transfection of miR-6088 mimic or si-SMARCB1 could obviously reverse the favorable effect of pcDNA3.1-MEG3 on glioma progression. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the evidence in this study indicated that MEG3 was downregulated in glioma cells and inhibited proliferation and migration of glioma cells via regulating miR-6088/SMARCB1 axis.