Carbon Fiber Reinforced Recycled Polypropylene/Polyolefin Elastomer Composites with High Mechanical Properties.

The treatment of waste plastics has gradually become a hot topic in the current scientific community. In response to the needs for high-impact performance R-PP-based composites, carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced polyolefin elastomer (POE)/recycled polypropylene (R-PP) composite (CF/POE/R-PP) was prepared by the mechanical blending method, and its mechanical and thermal properties were systematically studied. It was found that the CF could effectively improve the bending and notch impact strength as well as enhance the thermal stability of POE/R-PP. Furthermore, a stable and dispersed composite interface formed by the combination of maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MAH) with the surface of CF and the fusion alkyl chains in R-PP and POE further enhanced the CF's reinforcing effect. As a result, the addition of 9 wt.% CF successfully improved the heat resistance of the composite material, and the residual carbon content increased by 97.84% after sintering. The composite toughening of POE and CF effectively improved the impact strength of the composite material, with a maximum increase of over 1000%. This study ultimately resulted in a high-impact-resistant composite material.

Aqueous humour protein dysregulation in Asian eyes with primary open angle glaucoma.

The pathophysiology of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) remains poorly understood. Through proteomic analysis of aqueous humour (AH) from POAG patients, we aim to identify changes in protein composition of these samples compared to control samples. High resolution mass spectrometry-based TMT6plex quantitative proteomics analysis is performed on AH samples collected from POAG patients, and compared against a control group of patients with cataracts. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD033153. 1589 proteins were quantified from the aqueous samples using Proteome Discoverer version 2.2 software. Among these proteins, 210 were identified as unique master proteins. The proteins which were up or down-regulated by ±3 fold-change were considered significant. Human neuroblastoma full-length cDNA clone CS0DD006YL02 was significantly upregulated in patients with severe POAG on >2 medications, while actin, cytoplasmic 1, V2-7 protein (fragment), immunoglobulin-like polypeptide 1 and phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 4 were only present in these patients with severe POAG on >2 medications. Beta-crystallin B1 and B2, Gamma-crystallin C, D and S were significantly downregulated in the severe POAG ≤2 glaucoma medications group. Beta-crystallin B2, Gamma-crystallin D and GCT-A9 light chain variable region (fragment) were significantly downregulated in the non-severe POAG group. Actin, cytoplasmic 1 was significantly upregulated in subjects with severe POAG who required more than 2 glaucoma medications. Crystallins (Beta-crystallin B1 and B2, Gamma-crystallin C, D and S) were significantly downregulated in subjects with severe POAG who required less than 2 glaucoma medications.

A novel molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor from poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/chitosan for selective and sensitive detection of levofloxacin.

The improper usage of levofloxacin (LEV) endangers both environmental safety and human public health. Therefore, trace analysis and detection of LEV have extraordinary significance. In this paper, a novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrochemical sensor was developed for the specific determination of LEV by electrochemical polymerization of o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/chitosan (PEDOT/CS) with a porous structure and rich functional groups as a carrier and LEV as a template molecule. The morphology, structure and properties of the modified materials were analyzed and studied. The result showed that the electron transfer rate and the electroactive strength of the electrode surface are greatly improved by the interconnection of PEDOT and CS. Meanwhile, PEDOT/CS was assembled by imprinting with o-PD through non-covalent bonding, which offered more specific recognition sites and a larger surface area for the detection of LEV and effectively attracted LEV through intermolecular association. Under the optimized conditions, MIP/PEDOT/CS/GCE showed good detection performance for LEV in a wide linear range of 0.0019- 1000 µM, with a limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) of 0.4 nM. Furthermore, the sensor has good stability and selectivity, and exhibits excellent capabilities in the microanalysis of various real samples.

Redesigning a S-nitrosylated pyruvate-dependent GABA transaminase 1 to generate high-malate and saline-alkali-tolerant tomato.

Although saline-alkali stress can improve tomato quality, the detailed molecular processes that balance stress tolerance and quality are not well-understood. Our research links nitric oxide (NO) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) with the control of root malate exudation and fruit malate storage, mediated by aluminium-activated malate transporter 9/14 (SlALMT9/14). By modifying a specific S-nitrosylated site on pyruvate-dependent GABA transaminase 1 (SlGABA-TP1), we have found a way to enhance both plant's saline-alkali tolerance and fruit quality. Under saline-alkali stress, NO levels vary in tomato roots and fruits. High NO in roots leads to S-nitrosylation of SlGABA-TP1/2/3 at Cys316/258/316, reducing their activity and increasing GABA. This GABA then reduces malate exudation from roots and affects saline-alkali tolerance by interacting with SlALMT14. In fruits, a moderate NO level boosts SlGABA-TP1 expression and GABA breakdown, easing GABA's block on SlALMT9 and increasing malate storage. Mutants of SlGABA-TP1C316S that do not undergo S-nitrosylation maintain high activity, supporting malate movement in both roots and fruits under stress. This study suggests targeting SlGABA-TP1Cys316 in tomato breeding could significantly improve plant's saline-alkali tolerance and fruit quality, offering a promising strategy for agricultural development.

The efferocytosis process in aging: Supporting evidence, mechanisms, and therapeutic prospects for age-related diseases.

BACKGROUND: Aging is characterized by an ongoing struggle between the buildup of damage caused by a combination of external and internal factors. Aging has different effects on phagocytes, including impaired efferocytosis. A deficiency in efferocytosis can cause chronic inflammation, aging, and several other clinical disorders. AIM OF REVIEW: Our review underscores the possible feasibility and extensive scope of employing dual targets in various age-related diseases to reduce the occurrence and progression of age-related diseases, ultimately fostering healthy aging and increasing lifespan. Key scientific concepts of review Hence, the concurrent implementation of strategies aimed at augmenting efferocytic mechanisms and anti-aging treatments has the potential to serve as a potent intervention for extending the duration of a healthy lifespan. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the concept and physiological effects of efferocytosis. Subsequently, we investigated the association between efferocytosis and the hallmarks of aging. Finally, we discuss growing evidence regarding therapeutic interventions for age-related disorders, focusing on the physiological processes of aging and efferocytosis.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of hydantoin derivatives as potent antiplasmodial agents.

Malaria, a devastating disease, has claimed numerous lives and caused considerable suffering, with young children and pregnant women being the most severely affected group. However, the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Plasmodium and the adverse side effects associated with existing antimalarial drugs underscore the urgent need for the development of novel, well-tolerated, and more efficient drugs to combat this global health threat. To address these challenges, six new hydantoins derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antiplasmodial activity. Notably, compound 2c exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against the tested Pf3D7 strain, with an IC50 value of 3.97 ± 0.01 nM, three-fold better than chloroquine. Following closely, compound 3b demonstrated an IC50 value of 27.52 ± 3.37 µM against the Pf3D7 strain in vitro. Additionally, all the hydantoins derivatives tested showed inactive against human MCR-5 cells, with an IC50 value exceeding 100 µM. In summary, the hydantoin derivative 2c emerges as a promising candidate for further exploration as an antiplasmodial compound.

Automatic Delineation of the 3D Left Atrium from LGE-MRI: Actor-Critic based Detection and Semi-Supervised Segmentation.

Accurate and automatic delineation of the left atrium (LA) is crucial for computer-aided diagnosis of atrial fibrillation-related diseases. However, effective model training typically requires a large amount of labeled data, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, we propose a novel LA delineation framework. The region of LA is first detected using an actor-critic based deep reinforcement learning method with a shape-adaptive detection strategy using only box-level annotations, bypassing the need for voxel-level labeling. With the effectively detected LA, the impacts of class-imbalance and interference from surrounding tissues are significantly reduced. Subsequently, a semi-supervised segmentation scheme is coined to precisely delineate the contour of LA in 3D volume. The scheme integrates two independent networks with distinct structures, enabling implicit consistency regularization, capturing more spatial features, and avoiding the error accumulation present in current mainstream semi-supervised frameworks. Specifically, one network is combined with Transformer to capture latent spatial features, while the other network is based on pure CNN to capture local features. The difference prediction between these two sub-networks is exploited to mutually provide high-quality pseudo-labels and correct the cognitive bias. Experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate that our proposed strategy outperforms several state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy and clinical convenience.

Genetic engineering of drought and salt tolerant tomato via S-nitrosylated Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase.

Drought and soil salinization substantially impact agriculture. While proline's role in enhancing stress tolerance is known, the exact molecular mechanism by which plants process stress signals and control proline synthesis under stress is still not fully understood. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), drought and salt stress stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production, which boosts proline synthesis by activating Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (SlP5CS) and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (SlP5CR) genes and the P5CR enzyme. The crucial factor is stress-triggered NO production, which regulates the S-nitrosylation of SlP5CR at Cys-5, thereby increasing its NAD(P)H affinity and enzymatic activity. S-nitrosylation of SlP5CR enables tomato plants to better adapt to changing NAD(P)H levels, boosting both SlP5CR activity and proline synthesis during stress. By comparing tomato lines genetically modified to express different forms of SlP5CR, including a variant mimicking S-nitrosylation (SlP5CRC5W), we found that SlP5CRC5W plants show superior growth and stress tolerance. This is attributed to better P5CR activity, proline production, water use efficiency, reactive oxygen species scavenging, and sodium excretion. Overall, this study demonstrates that tomato engineered to mimic S-nitrosylated SlP5CR exhibits enhanced growth and yield in drought and salt stress conditions, highlighting a promising approach for stress-tolerant tomato cultivation.

Prevalence and patterns of comorbidities in older people with type 2 diabetes in Australian primary care settings.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and patterns of comorbidity in community-dwelling older people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attending general practice settings in Australia. METHODS: This study involved a cross-sectional analysis using the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) sub-study data. In a series of sub-studies, a representative sample of general practitioners was asked to record all diagnosed chronic conditions for patients at 40 consecutive encounters using structured paper-based recording forms. The dataset was analysed with descriptive analyses, and exploratory factor analyses were applied to examine comorbidity patterns. RESULTS: Of the 14,042 patients aged 65 years or older, 2688 had a diagnosis of T2DM (19%). Of the 2688 patients with T2DM, hypertension was present in 67% (95% CI: 64.6-70.0), followed by arthritis 52% (95% CI: 48.8-54.8), hyperlipidaemia 45% (95% CI: 41.8-47.9), ischemic heart disease, 23% (95% CI: 20.7-24.9), depression 16% (95% CI: 48.8-54.8), atrial fibrillation 10% (95% CI: 8.9-11.6), congestive heart failure 7% (95% CI: 6.0-8.1), stroke/cerebrovascular accident 7% (95% CI: 5.4-8.2) and peripheral vascular disease 5% (95% CI: 4.4-6.2). We identified two comorbidity patterns among older people with T2DM. The first were psychological and musculoskeletal conditions and the second were cardiovascular conditions and chronic renal failure. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular comorbidities in community-dwelling older people with T2DM was high. Adequate primary care strategies should be in place to support the long-term care for this population.

Defining minimal invasive surgical therapy for benign prostatic obstruction surgery: Perspectives from a global knowledge, attitude, and practice survey.

Objective: To scrutinize the definitions of minimal invasive surgical therapy (MIST) and to investigate urologists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices for benign prostatic obstruction surgeries. Methods: A 36-item survey was developed with a Delphi method. Questions on definitions of MIST and attitudes and practices of benign prostatic obstruction surgeries were included. Urologists were invited globally to complete the online survey. Consensus was achieved when more than or equal to 70% responses were "agree or strongly agree" and less than or equal to 15% responses were "disagree or strongly disagree" (consensus agree), or when more than or equal to 70% responses were "disagree or strongly disagree" and less than or equal to 15% responses were "agree or strongly agree" (consensus disagree). Results: The top three qualities for defining MIST were minimal blood loss (n=466, 80.3%), fast post-operative recovery (n=431, 74.3%), and short hospital stay (n=425, 73.3%). The top three surgeries that were regarded as MIST were Urolift® (n=361, 62.2%), Rezum® (n=351, 60.5%), and endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (EEP) (n=332, 57.2%). Consensus in the knowledge section was achieved for the superiority of Urolift®, Rezum®, and iTIND® over transurethral resection of the prostate with regard to blood loss, recovery, day surgery feasibility, and post-operative continence. Consensus in the attitudes section was achieved for the superiority of Urolift®, Rezum®, and iTIND® over transurethral resection of the prostate with regard to blood loss, recovery, and day surgery feasibility. Consensus on both sections was achieved for EEP as the option with the better symptoms and flow improvement, lower retreatment rate, and better suitable for prostate more than 80 mL. Conclusion: Minimal blood loss, fast post-operative recovery, and short hospital stay were the most important qualities for defining MIST. Urolift®, Rezum®, and EEP were regarded as MIST by most urologists.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular mortality and contrast analysis within subgroups.

Background: An increase in deaths has been perceived during the pandemic, which cannot be explained only by COVID-19. The actual number of deaths far exceeds the recorded data on deaths directly related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data from early and short-lived pandemic studies show a dramatic shift in cardiovascular mortality. Grounded in the post-pandemic era, macroscopic big data on cardiovascular mortality during the pandemic need to be further reviewed and studied, which is crucial for cardiovascular disease prevention and control. Methods: We retrieved and collected data associated with cardiovascular disease mortality from the National Vital Statistic System from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) platform based on the ICD-10 codes. We applied regression analysis to characterize overall cardiovascular disease mortality trends from 2010 to 2023 and built a time series model to predict mortality for 2020-2023 based on mortality data from 2010 to 2019 in order to affirm the existence of the excess deaths by evaluating observed vs. predicted mortality. We also conducted subgroup analyses by sex, age and race/ethnicity for the purpose of obtaining more specific sociodemographic information. Results: All-cause age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) for CVD dramatically increased between 2019 and 2021[annual percentage change (APC) 11.27%, p < 0.01], and then decreased in the following 2021-2023(APC: -7.0%, p < 0.01). Subgroup analyses found that the ASMR change was most pronounced in Alaska Indians/Native American people (APC: 16.5% in 2019-2021, -12.5% in 2021-2023, both p < 0.01), Hispanics (APC: 12.1% in 2019-2021, -12.2% in 2021-2023, both p < 0.05) and non-Hispanic Black people (APC:11.8% in 2019-2021, -10.3% in 2021-2023, both p < 0.01)whether during the increasing or declining phase. Similarly, the ASMR change was particularly dramatic for the 25-44 age group (APC:19.8% in 2019-2021, -15.4% in 2021-2023, both p < 0.01) and males (APC: 11.5% in 2019-2021, -7.6% in 2021-2023, both p < 0.01). By the end of 2023, the proportion of COVID-related excess death remained high among the elderly (22.4%), males (42.8%) and Alaska Indians/Native American people(39.7%). In addition, we did not find the presence of excess deaths in the young (25-44) and middle-aged cohort (45-64) in 2023, while excess deaths remained persistent in the elderly. Conclusions: All-cause ASMRs for CVD increased notably during the initial two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and then witnessed a decline in 2021-2023. The cohorts (the young, males and minorities) with the steepest rise in mortality decreased at the fastest rate instead. Previous initiatives to promote cardiovascular health were effective, but further research on cardiovascular healthcare for the elderly and racial disparities should be attached to priority considering the presence of sociodemographic differences in CVD death.

Quantitative evaluation of ocular vascularity and correlation analysis in patients with diabetic retinopathy by SMI and OCTA.

AIMS: To find potential relation between retrobulbar vessels and fundus microvessels and to detect sensitive and effective clinical indicators in predicting the progress of diabetic retinopathy (DR), ocular hemodynamics were measured using superb microvascular imaging (SMI) and ultrawide-field optical coherence tomography angiography (UWF-OCTA). METHODS: Observational, cross-sectional study evaluating ocular hemodynamics in patients with DR by SMI (Aplio i900, Canon Medical) and UWF-OCTA (BM-400 K BMizar, Tupai Medical Technology). The peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) of the central retinal artery (CRA), posterior ciliary artery (PCA), and ophthalmic artery (OA) were measured by SMI. UWF-OCTA evaluated the fundus vascular parameters. A correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between SMI and UWF-OCTA parameters. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-nine eyes of 139 diabetic patients were included: 29 without DR (NDR), 36 with mild to moderate nonproliferative DR (M-NPDR), 37 with severe NPDR (S-NPDR), and 37 with proliferative DR (PDR). PSV and EDV of retrobulbar vessels decreased from NDR to S-NPDR while increasing PDR. RI of OA showed a decreasing trend in the progression of DR, but other vessels didn't show the same trend. ROC curve analysis showed that CRAPSV, CRAEDV, PCAEDV, OAPSV, and OAEDV had diagnostic value distinguishing M-NPDR and S-NPDR. The correlation analysis observed a significant association between the SMI parameters of CRA and PCA and UWF-OCTA parameters. CRA hemodynamics were more associated with fundus vascular parameters, especially the retina, in the NDR group than in the M-NPDR group. In contrast, PCA consistently correlated with fundus vascular parameters, especially in the choroid, from the NDR to the M-NPDR group. However, OA showed a poor correlation with OCTA parameters. CONCLUSION: The velocity of retrobulbar vessels, mainly the CRA, may serve as a valuable predictor for assessing the progress of DR. The use of SMI in diabetic patients may help identify patients at risk of developing retinopathy.

Inflammation-associated D-dimer predicts neurological outcome of recent small subcortical infarct: A prospective clinical and laboratory study.

OBJECTIVE: Elevated level of D-Dimer often indicates a worse prognosis in cerebral infarction. However, there is limited research on this impact within recent small subcortical infarction (RSSI). We aim to explore the role of inflammation and the total magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) burden of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) in this process. METHODS: 384 RSSI patients and 189 matched healthy controls were strictly registered in the current research. We evaluated short-term and long-term outcomes by measuring the percentage of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) improvement and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months, respectively. We also assessed the chronic, sustained brain damage associated with cSVD using the total MRI burden and confirmed the relationship between prognosis and the total MRI burden of cSVD. Furthermore, we explored the associations between D-dimer and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels with NIHSS improvement and mRS at 3 months, as well as their relationships with both the total MRI burden of cSVD and its 4 imaging features. RESULTS: Both NIHSS improvement and the mRS at 3 months were found to be correlated with the total MRI burden of cSVD. Higher D-dimer and CRP levels showed a linear correlation, indicating worse prognosis and a higher total MRI burden of cSVD. The four imaging features of the total MRI burden of cSVD did not exhibit entirely consistent patterns when exploring their correlations with prognosis and laboratory indicators. CONCLUSION: Inflammation-associated D-dimer predicts neurological outcomes in patients with recent small subcortical infarct, and reflects a more severe total MRI burden of cSVD.

Changes of structural functional connectivity coupling and its correlations with cognitive function in patients with major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Previous neuroimaging studies have reported structural and functional brain abnormalities in major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to explore whether the coherence of structural-functional networks was affected by disease and investigate its correlation with clinical manifestations. METHODS: The severity of symptoms and cognitive function of 121 MDD patients and 139 healthy controls (HC) were assessed, and imaging data, including diffusion tensor imaging, T1 structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI, were collected. Spearman correlation coefficients of Kullback-Leibler similarity (KLS), fiber number (FN), fractional anisotropy (FA) and functional connectivity (FC) were calculated as coupling coefficients. Double-weight median correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the correlations between differences in brain networks and clinical assessments. RESULTS: The percentage of total correct response of delayed matching to sample and the percentage of delayed correct response of pattern recognition memory was lower in MDD. Compared with the HC, KLS-FC coupling between the parietal lobe and subcortical area, FA-FC coupling between the temporal and parietal lobe, and FN-FC coupling in the frontal lobe was lower in MDD. Several correlations between structural-functional connectivity and clinical manifestations were identified. LIMITATIONS: First, our study lacks longitudinal follow-up data. Second, the sample size was relatively small. Moreover, we only used the Anatomical Automatic Labeling template to construct the brain network. Finally, the validation of the causal relationship of neuroimaging-behavior factors was still insufficient. CONCLUSIONS: The alternation in structural-functional coupling were related to clinical characterization and might be involved in the neuropathology of depression.

Work readiness of pharmacy graduates: An exploratory study.

Introduction: The recent global pandemic of Covid-19 caused various disruptions. Among them were face-to-face teaching and learning activities being switched to virtual sessions in accordance with health authorities recommendations. The impact of these changes on work readiness of pharmacy graduates is unknown. Aim: This study aims to determine the impact of pharmacy graduate's work readiness, particularly those that had their studies disrupted from the pandemic. Methods: Practicing pharmacists with supervisory experience were interviewed on their opinions on work readiness of early career and intern pharmacists. Specifically, they were asked to comment on work readiness of pharmacy graduates who had their later stage of pharmacy education impacted by the pandemic. Data was transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. This was also supplemented with quantitative data from graduating students in 2020 and 2021 using the Work Readiness Scale. Results: Qualitative feedback showed four themes related to workforce readiness: work competence, social intelligence, personal characteristics, and organizational acumen. Preceptors interviewed noted differences in communication abilities when interacting with patients. However, this improved with time. Quantitative data collected from graduates via the validated Work-Readiness Scale also showed a more positive agreement towards perceived work readiness. These graduates were comfortable with using technology as they had used these extensively in their learning during the pandemic and thus was comfortable in adopting digital health tools in their practice. Conclusion: Although graduates reported to be work ready, there were gaps in communication skills and confidence levels when interacting with patients, as reported by supervising preceptors. Graduates also described this sense of 'missing out' from not having the opportunity to attend face-to-face activities like their originally planned hospital placements and how it impacted their choice of career. As pharmacists continue to play vital roles as members of the broader healthcare workforce, both in clinical and nonclinical settings, learnings from this study should be considered in designing educational activities to train and develop the workforce of the future.

Differential effects of sleep deprivation on behavior and microglia in a brain-region-specific manner in young and aged male mice.

Microglia, resident immune cells in the central nervous system, constantly monitor the state of the surrounding brain activity. The animal model induced by sleep deprivation (SD) is widely used to study the pathophysiological mechanisms of insomnia and bipolar disorder. However, it remains unclear whether SD affects behaviors in young and aged male mice and microglia in various brain regions. In this study, we confirmed brain region-specific changes in microglial density and morphology in the accumbens nucleus (Acb), amygdala (AMY), cerebellum (Cb), corpus callosum (cc), caudate putamen, hippocampus (HIP), hypothalamus (HYP), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and thalamus (TH) of young mice. In addition, the density of microglia in old mice was higher than that in young mice. Compared with young mice, old mice showed a markedly increased microglial size, decreased total length of microglial processes, and decreased maximum length. Importantly, we found that 48-h SD decreased microglial density and morphology in old mice, whereas SD increased microglial density and morphology in most observed brain regions in young mice. SD-induced hyperactivity was observed only in young mice but not in old mice. Moreover, microglial density (HIP, AMY, mPFC, CPu) was significantly positively correlated with behaviors in SD- and vehicle-treated young mice. Contrarily, negative correlations were shown between the microglial density (cc, Cb, TH, HYP, Acb, AMY) and behaviors in vehicle-treated young and old mice. These results suggest that SD dysregulates the homeostatic state of microglia in a region- and age-dependent manner. Microglia may be involved in regulating age-related behavioral responses to SD.

Bibliometric and visualized analysis of diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: Our aim was to identify recent research trends on diabetic macular edema (DME) and focus on publications from different countries, institutions, and authors. METHODS: We retrieved and analyzed data from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2022 on the DME research field from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer were applied to perform visualization analysis and evaluate the trends. RESULTS: A total of 4482 publications were identified, and the annual global publications increased steadily, from 36 to 390, during this period. The United States (1339 publications, 71,754 citations), Johns Hopkins University (176 publications, 17,015 citations), and Bressler NM (76 publications, 9621 citations) were the most influential and productive countries, institutions, and authors, respectively. The top 100 keywords were classified into five clusters: (1) therapy and adverse effects of DME; (2) clinical biomarkers of DME; (3) mechanistic research on DME; (4) improving bioavailability and efficacy; and (5) early diagnosis of diabetic complications. "Diabetic macular edema," "retinopathy," "ranibizumab," and "optical coherence tomography angiography" were the most frequent keywords. Regarding the average appearing years (AAYs) of the keywords, "deep learning" (AAY:2020.83), "optical coherence tomography angiography" (AAY:2019.59), "intravitreal Aflibercept" (AAY:2019.29), and "dexamethasone implant" (AAY:2019.20) were recognized as the hotspots of the DME research area in the short run. CONCLUSION: In the past two decades, the United States was in master status in DME research. Although intravitreal drug injection has been the mainstream therapy for a long time, the effectiveness of different drugs, such as dexamethasone, new solutions for drug delivery, such as intravitreal implantation, and more accurate tools for the classification and follow-up of DME patients, such as deep learning systems, are still research hotspots.

From Liquid to Solid-State Batteries: Li-Rich Mn-Based Layered Oxides as Emerging Cathodes with High Energy Density.

Li-rich Mn-based (LRMO) cathode materials have attracted widespread attention due to their high specific capacity, energy density, and cost-effectiveness. However, challenges such as poor cycling stability, voltage deca,y and oxygen escape limit their commercial application in liquid Li-ion batteries. Consequently, there is a growing interest in the development of safe and resilient all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), driven by their remarkable safety features and superior energy density. ASSBs based on LRMO cathodes offer distinct advantages over conventional liquid Li-ion batteries, including long-term cycle stability, thermal and wider electrochemical windows stability, as well as the prevention of transition metal dissolution. This review aims to recapitulate the challenges and fundamental understanding associated with the application of LRMO cathodes in ASSBs. Additionally, it proposes the mechanisms of interfacial mechanical and chemical instability, introduces noteworthy strategies to enhance oxygen redox reversibility, enhances high-voltage interfacial stability, and optimizes Li+ transfer kinetics. Furthermore, it suggests potential research approaches to facilitate the large-scale implementation of LRMO cathodes in ASSBs.

Associations of serum gamma-linolenic acid levels with erythema severity and anxiety/depression status in patients with rosacea.

BACKGROUND: The development of rosacea is suggested to be closely associated with lipid metabolism, inflammation, and anxiety/depression. Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) is a key factor participating in lipid metabolism, which is also confirmed to regulate the inflammatory response. However, the associations of serum GLA levels with rosacea severity and psychological status still remain unclear. OBJECTIVE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: The present study aimed to investigate the associations of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a key factor participating in lipid metabolism and the inflammatory response, with rosacea severity and psychological status. The present study still had some limitations. First, this study is a cross-sectional study and does not provide longitudinal evidence about the relationship between GLA and rosacea; Second, the cohort in this study is also relatively small, and a larger cohort is needed in further investigation to reveal the potential role of lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of rosacea. METHODS: A total of 62 rosacea patients were consecutively recruited. Patient's Self-Assessment (PSA) scale and Clinician Erythema Assessment (CEA) as well as 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were conducted to evaluate the degree of erythema severity and anxiety/depression, respectively. Serum GLA levels were determined by gas chromatography mass. RESULTS: Lower levels of serum GLA in rosacea patients were observed (p<0.001), and subgroup analysis revealed that patients with higher-level GLA had lower scores of PSA, CEA, GAD-7 and PHQ-9. Moreover, Spearman correlation analysis uncovered that serum GLA levels were negatively associated with PSA, CEA, GAD-7 as well and PHQ-9 scores, respectively. Linear regression model found that serum GLA levels at baseline were a predictive factor for prognosis of clinical outcomes after 1-month conventional treatment. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that lower levels of serum GLA in rosacea patients are negatively associated with the degree of erythema and anxiety/depression status.