Circ-POSTN promotes the progression and reduces radiosensitivity in esophageal cancer by regulating the miR-876-5p/FYN axis.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in the tumorigenesis and radiosensitivity of multiple cancers. Nevertheless, the biological functions of circRNA periostin (circ-POSTN) in esophageal cancer (EC) progression and radiosensitivity have not been well elucidated. METHODS: The expression of circ-POSTN, microRNA-876-5p (miR-876-5p), and proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase (FYN) was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT, colony formation, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU) assays. All protein levels were detected by western blot assay. Cell apoptosis and invasion were assessed by flow cytometry analysis and transwell assay, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to validate the interaction between miR-876-5p and circ-POSTN or FYN. The role of circ-POSTN in vivo was explored by establishing mice xenograft model. RESULTS: Circ-POSTN was overexpressed in EC tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ-POSTN inhibited cell proliferation and invasion and elevated apoptosis and radiosensitivity in EC cells. MiR-876-5p was a direct target of circ-POSTN, and its knockdown reversed the role of sh-circ-POSTN in EC cells. FYN was a direct target of miR-876-5p, and FYN elevation weakened the effects of miR-876-5p overexpression on the progression and radiosensitivity of EC cells. Moreover, circ-POSTN acted as a miR-876-5p sponge to regulate FYN expression. Circ-POSTN interference also suppressed tumor growth and enhanced radiosensitivity in vivo. CONCLUSION: Circ-POSTN knockdown inhibited proliferation and invasion, but increased apoptosis and enhanced radiosensitivity in EC cells via modulating miR-876-5p/FYN axis, which might be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for EC.

Stochastic Exceptional Points for Noise-Assisted Sensing.

Noise is a fundamental challenge for sensors deployed in daily environments for ambient sensing, health monitoring, and wireless networking. Current strategies for noise mitigation rely primarily on reducing or removing noise. Here, we introduce stochastic exceptional points and show the utility to reverse the detrimental effect of noise. The stochastic process theory illustrates that the stochastic exceptional points manifest as fluctuating sensory thresholds that give rise to stochastic resonance, a counterintuitive phenomenon in which the added noise increases the system's ability to detect weak signals. Demonstrations using a wearable wireless sensor show that the stochastic exceptional points lead to more accurate tracking of a person's vital signs during exercise. Our results may lead to a distinct class of sensors that overcome and are enhanced by ambient noise for applications ranging from healthcare to the internet of things.

The Effects of High-Altitude Mountaineering on Cognitive Function in Mountaineers: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, with the convenience of international traveling and driven by many individuals' fond dreams of challenging high-altitude exercises, high-altitude mountaineering is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to determine the effects of high-altitude mountaineering on cognitive functions in mountaineers before and after climbing. METHODS: After a thorough electronic literature search and selection, eight studies were included in this meta-analysis, and the conducted test cycles ranged from 8 to 140 days. Eight variables were included in this meta-analysis: the Trail-Making Test (TMB), Digit Span-Forward (DSF), Digit Span-Backward (DSB), Finger Tapping Test-Right (FTR) Finger Tapping Test-Left (FTL), Wechsler Memory Scale Visual (WMSV), the Aphasia Screening Test (Verbal Items) (AST-Ver), and the Aphasia Screening Test (Visual Motor Errors) (AST-Vis). The effect sizes (ES) and forest plots of these eight variables were generated. RESULTS: Five variables (TMB, ES = 0.39; DSF, ES = 0.57; FTR, ES = 0.50; FTL, ES = 0.16; WMSV, ES = 0.63) out of eight were significantly improved after high-altitude mountaineering, whereas the ES values of DSB, AST-Ver, and AST-Vis did not show significant improvement after climbing. CONCLUSION: Despite two limitations, namely, methodological issues inherent in the meta-analysis and the inability to explain high heterogeneity between studies, this study is the first meta-analysis that has attempted to specify and compare the cognitive functions of mountaineers before and after high-altitude mountaineering. Furthermore, as a short-term plateau exercise, high-altitude mountaineering has no significant negative impacts on the cognitive functions of climbers. Future research is needed for a long period of high-altitude mountaineering.

Challenges and perspectives of green-like lignocellulose pretreatments selectable for low-cost biofuels and high-value bioproduction.

Lignocellulose represents the most abundant carbon-capturing substance that is convertible for biofuels and bioproduction. Although biomass pretreatments have been broadly applied to reduce lignocellulose recalcitrance for enhanced enzymatic saccharification, they mostly require strong conditions with potential secondary waste release. By classifying all major types of pretreatments that have been recently conducted with different sources of lignocellulose substrates, this study sorted out their distinct roles for wall polymer extraction and destruction, leading to the optimal pretreatments evaluated for cost-effective biomass enzymatic saccharification to maximize biofuel production. Notably, all undigestible lignocellulose residues are also aimed for effective conversion into value-added bioproduction. Meanwhile, desired pretreatments were proposed for the generation of highly-valuable nanomaterials such as cellulose nanocrystals, lignin nanoparticles, functional wood, carbon dots, porous and graphitic nanocarbons. Therefore, this article has proposed a novel strategy that integrates cost-effective and green-like pretreatments with desirable lignocellulose substrates for a full lignocellulose utilization with zero-biomass-waste liberation.

Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Omalizumab in Children and Adolescents With Moderate-To-Severe Asthma.

Background: Omalizumab is currently approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe allergic asthma in patients 6 years and older. Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of subcutaneous omalizumab as an add-on therapy option for moderate-severe allergic asthma in patients aged 6-20 years old. Methods: The studies published from July, 1970 to May, 2021 were searched from the electronic databases which followed keywords: ("anti-IgE" OR "anti-immunoglobulin E" OR "anti-IgE antibody" OR "omalizumab" OR "rhuMAb-E25" OR "Xolair") AND "asthma" AND ("child" OR "children" OR "adolescents" OR "youth" OR "teenager" OR "kids" OR "pediatric"). Thirteen studies were pooled to determine the effectiveness and safety of omalizumab. Efficacy endpoints were evaluated using a fixed-effects model or a random-effects model depending on heterogeneity. Safety endpoints were evaluated by odds ratio. Results: Thirteen studies were included. In this meta-analysis, our results showed that fractional exhaled nitric oxide and asthma control test scores were significantly improved with omalizumab treatment. Serum immunoglobulin E was also decreased in children with moderate-to-severe asthma after treatment with omalizumab. The analysis found that there was no significant difference between pre-and post-treatment in forced expiratory volume in one second/ forced vital capacity ratio, forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of vital capacity, or FEV1. Overall, more adverse events occurred with omalizumab compared to placebo. However, the degree was mild to moderate. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that omalizumab is safe and effective to treat children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe asthma.

Effects of Therapeutic Horseback-Riding Program on Social and Communication Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Animal-assisted therapy has become a fast-growing and effective approach for remediating core impairments of children with ASD; however, recent systematic review studies on the effects of AAT in children with ASD have some limitations, including referral to a variety of animal-assisted interventions rather than to horseback-riding therapy alone and the absence of any meta-analysis in systematic reviews. A complete systematic review of the studies that describe the use of THR as an intervention is needed to specifically target the core impairments of children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to employ the systematic review method to synthesize research findings regarding the effects of THR programs on the social interaction and communication skills of children with ASD. We conducted a structured search in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched for potentially relevant studies in five databases (Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus) from inception until February 2022. In addition, we manually searched the bibliographies of the included studies to find articles that might otherwise have been missed. We considered articles eligible or ineligible if they satisfied specific inclusion or exclusion criteria. Our results showed that the THR program is an effective direct and alternative therapeutic program that can considerably improve the social behaviors and communication skills of children with ASD and can effectively impact autistic impairments in areas such as social awareness, social cognition, social motivation, and social communication. These findings are in line with those of previous studies; however, we did not find statistical evidence of any effect of THR on the autistic behaviors of irritability, stereotypy, and inappropriate speech. In conclusion, the findings produced by this meta-analysis study provide evidence that THR programs can considerably improve the social behaviors and communication skills of children with ASD.

Effects of a Web-Based Parent-Child Physical Activity Program on Mental Health in Parents of Children with ASD.

Parents of children with ASD experience a higher incidence of mental health difficulties, including stress, depression, and anxiety, than parents of children without ASD. According to studies related to ASD, parent-child physical activity programs are an effective approach to encourage both parents and their children with ASD to exercise together, thus improving the mental health of parents due to this interactive family activity. The purpose of the present study was to explore the effects of this web-based parent-child physical activity program on the mental health of parents of children with ASD. A total of 94 parent-child pairs consented to participate in this study, and 75 parent-child pairs completed the study. Three instruments-DASS-21, PSI-4-SF, and WHOQOL-26-were used to measure mental health, parental stress, and quality of life, respectively. A randomized controlled trial design was implemented to examine the effectiveness of the 10-week web-based parent-child physical activity program on improving the mental health of parents of children with ASD. The results showed that after the 10-week parent-child physical activity program, there were significant differences in overall DASS-21 and PSI-4-SF for the experimental group, compared with control group (p < 0.05), which indicated that the parent-child physical activity program has a positive influence on mental health in parents of children with ASD. One sub-area of WHOQOL-26 between the experimental and control groups across pre-/post-testing intervals also showed greater reductions in the item of psychological health (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the findings demonstrated the efficacy of the web-based parent-child physical activity program for improving mental health in parents of children with ASD.

Effects of a Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program on Social Interaction and Communication in Children with Autism.

Various therapeutic interventions have been studied and found to be effective in reducing the stereotypical behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There has been increasing interest in using animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) as an alternative approach to therapeutic rehabilitation for children with ASD, and many studies have reported that AAI has significant benefits for the cognitive, psychological, and social behavior of children with ASD. The present study was designed to examine the effects of a 16 weeks therapeutic horseback riding program on social interaction and communication skills in children with autism. Eighty-four children diagnosed with ASD, aged between 6 and 12 years old, were recruited for this study. All selected participants met the DSM-V criteria, and a total of sixty-one participants (N = 61) completed the study. A quasi-experimental design with an experimental group and control group was implemented for this study, taking measurements at pre-test, interim-test, and post-test to monitor the behavior changes in social and communication throughout the 16-week intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA and the independent sample t-test were used for data analysis, to assess the difference between the experimental group and control group. The results indicated that the THR program had positive influences on overall social skills and communication, based on the SSIS and the ABLLS-R scores, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). A notable improvement in the overall social interaction score was observed from the interim-testing point to post-test. In addition, participants in the therapeutic horseback riding (THR) group achieved significant improvements on six out of seven items in their communication evaluations. In conclusion, after 16 weeks of intervention, the THR program significantly enhanced the subdomains of social and communication skills in the areas of social interaction, communication, responsibility, and self-control, compared to the control group.

Effects of Consecutive Versus Non-consecutive Days of Resistance Training on Strength, Body Composition, and Red Blood Cells.

Health authorities worldwide recommend 2-3 days per week of resistance training (RT) performed ∼48-72 h apart. However, the influence of recovery period between RT sessions on muscle strength, body composition, and red blood cells (RBCs) are unclear. Aim: Examine the effects of three consecutive (C) or non-consecutive (NC) days of RT per week for 12 weeks on strength, body composition, and RBCs. Methods: Thirty young, healthy and recreationally active males were randomly assigned to 3 C (∼24 h between sessions) or NC (∼48-72 h between sessions) days of RT per week for 12 weeks. Both groups performed three sets of 10 repetitions at 10-repetition maximum (RM) of leg press, latissimus pulldown, leg curl, shoulder press, and leg extension for each session. Ten RM and body composition were assessed pre- and post-RT. RBC parameters were measured on the first session before RT, and 0 and 24 h post-3rd session in untrained (week 1) and trained (week 12) states. Results: No training × group interaction was found for all strength and body composition parameters (p = 0.075-0.974). Training increased strength for all exercises, bone mineral density, and total body mass via increased lean and bone mass (p < 0.001). There was no interaction (p = 0.076-0.994) and RT induced temporal changes in all RBC parameters (p < 0.001-0.003) except RBC corrected for plasma volume changes (time × training interaction; p = 0.001). Training increased hematocrit and lowered mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p = 0.001-0.041) but did not alter uncorrected RBC, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and RBC distribution width (p = 0.178-0.797). Conclusion: Both C and NC RT induced similar improvements in strength and body composition, and changes in RBC parameters.

Effects of Health Qigong Exercises on Relieving Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Health Qigong on the treatment and releasing symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Fifty-four moderate PD patients (N = 54) were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Twenty-eight PD patients were placed in the experimental group in which the prescribed medication plus Health Qigong exercise will be used as intervention. The other 26 PD patients as the control group were treated only with regular medication. Ten-week intervention had been conducted for the study, and participants completed the scheduled exercises 5 times per week for 60 minutes each time (10 minutes for warm-up, 40 minutes for the exercise, and 10 minutes for cooldown). Data which included the muscle hardness, one-legged blind balance, physical coordination, and stability was collected before, during, and after the intervention. Comparisons were made between the experimental and control groups through the Repeated Measures ANOVA. The results showed that PD patients demonstrate a significant improvement in muscle hardness, the timed "up and go," balance, and hand-eye coordination (the turn-over-jars test). There were no significant differences between the two groups in gender, age, and course of differences (P < 0.05). The study concluded that Health Qigong exercises could reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and improve the body functions of PD patients in both the mild and moderate stages. It can be added as an effective treatment of rehabilitation therapy for PD.