PLOD3 facilitated T cell activation in the colorectal tumor microenvironment and liver metastasis by the TNF-α/ NF-κB pathway.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been the third most prevalent cancer worldwide. Liver metastasis is the critical factor for the poor prognosis of CRC. Here, we investigated the expression and role of PLOD3 in CRC. METHODS: Different liver metastasis models were established by injecting PLOD3 stable knockdown or overexpression CT26 or MC38 mouse CRC cells into the spleen of mice to verify the tumorigenicity and metastasis ability in vivo. RESULTS: We identified PLOD3 is significantly overexpressed in liver metastasis samples of CRC. High expression of PLOD3 was significantly associated with poor survival of CRC patients. The knockdown of PLOD3 exhibited remarkable inhibition of proliferation, migration, and invasion in CRC cells, while the opposite results could be found in different PLOD3-overexpressed CRC cells. Stable knockdown of PLOD3 also significantly inhibited liver metastasis of CRC cells in different xenografts models, while stable overexpression of PLOD3 promotes liver metastasis and tumor progression. Further studies showed that PLOD3 facilitated the T cell activation in the tumor microenvironment and affected the TNF-α/ NF-κB pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the essential biological functions of PLOD3 in colon cancer progression and metastasis, suggesting that PLOD3 is a promising translational medicine target and bioengineering targeting PLOD3 overcomes CRC liver metastasis.

Fabrication of antimicrobial cationic hydrogels driven by physically and chemically crosslinking for wound healing.

The wound therapy based on antibiotic delivery inevitably leads to the emergence of drug resistance. Hydrogel biomaterials with inherent antibacterial activities have emerged as promising candidates for addressing this issue. However, developing an inherently antibacterial hydrogel through simple and facile strategies to promote localized wound infection healing remains a challenge. In this study, we successfully constructed antimicrobial cationic hydrogels with self-healing and injectable properties through physically and chemically dual-crosslinked networks. The networks were formed by the copolymers poly[(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-(4-formylphenyl methacrylate)-co-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride solution)] (PDFM) and poly[(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-(2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride)-co-(2-(((6-(6-methyl-4[1H]pyrimidionylureido) hexyl)carbamoyl)oxy)ethyl methacrylate)] (PDAU). The hydrogel systems effectively facilitate the regeneration and healing of infected wounds through the contact bactericidal feature of quaternary ammonium cations. The presence of Schiff base bonds in the injectable hydrogels imparts remarkable pH responsiveness and self-healing properties. In vitro experiments verified their intrinsic antibacterial activities along with their favorable cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility in both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the hydrogel significantly accelerated the healing of bacterially infected in a full-thickness skin wound. This facilely prepared dual-crosslinked hydrogel, without antibiotics loading, holds significant prospects for treating infected wounds.

Codelivery of CuS and DOX into Deep Tumors with Size and Charge-Switchable PAMAM Dendrimers for Chemo-photothermal Therapy.

Accurate targeting of therapeutic agents to specific tumor tissues, especially via deep tumor penetration, has been an effective strategy in cancer treatments. Here, we described a flexible nanoplatform, pH-responsive zwitterionic acylsulfonamide betaine-functionalized fourth-generation PAMAM dendrimers (G4-AB), which presented multiple advantages for chemo-photothermal therapy, including template synthesis of ultrasmall copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles and further encapsulation of doxorubicin (DOX) (G4-AB-DOX/CuS), long-circulating performance by a relatively large size and zwitterionic surface in a physiological environment, combined size shrinkage, and charge conversions via pH-responsive behavior in an acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). Accordingly, high tumor penetration and positive cell uptake for CuS and DOX have been determined, which triggered an excellent combination treatment under near-infrared irradiation in comparison to the monochemotherapy system and irresponsive chemo-photothermal system. Our study represented great promise in constructing multifunctional carriers for the effective delivery of photothermal nanoparticles and drugs in chemo-photothermal therapy.

Preparation of nano-sized multi-vesicular vesicles (MVVs) and its application in co-delivery of doxorubicin and curcumin.

Multi-vesicular vesicles (MVVs) offer structural advantages in terms of drug encapsulation and physiological stability. In this study, we address the challenge of preparing small-sized MVVs for drug delivery. The nano-sized MVVs (∼120 nm) loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and curcumin (CUR) (DOX/CUR@MVVs) were successfully prepared using a glass bead combined with a thin film dispersion method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis confirmed the independent non-homocentric vesicle structures of DOX/CUR@MVVs with homogeneous particle sizes. The experimental results showed high encapsulation rates of DOX and CUR in DOX/CUR@MVVs, reaching 82.5 ± 0.75 % and 85.9 ± 0.69 %, respectively. Moreover, the MVVs exhibited good biosafety and sustained release properties. Notably, the bioavailability of DOX and CUR in DOX/CUR@MVVs was enhanced compared to free DOX and CUR, with increases of 4.2 and 2.1 times, respectively. And the half-life of DOX and CUR was extended by 10 times in DOX/CUR@MVVs. In vivo antitumor experiments demonstrated that nano-sized DOX/CUR@MVVs significantly improved the antitumor activity while reducing the toxic side effects of DOX. Overall, the successful preparation of nano-sized DOX/CUR@MVVs and their potent and low-toxic antitumor effects provide a critical experimental reference for the combined antitumor therapy of MVVs and liposomes.

Synthesis of pH-responsive polyzwitterions for activated cellular uptake and tumor accumulation of gold nanoparticles at tumorous acidity.

The response sensitivity of surface material plays an important role in adjustable nano-bio interactionin vivo. In this present, a zwitterionic polymer (polyzwitterion) containing quaternary ammonium cation and sulfonamide anion poly(4-((4-(3-(methacryloyloxy)propoxy)phenyl) sulfonamido)-N, N, N-trimethyl-4-oxobutan-1-aminium chloride) (PMPTSA) was synthesized by Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization (RAFT) polymerization to explore the pH responsive behavior in tumors. The PMPTSA-coated gold nanoparticles (PMPTSA-@-Au NPs) showed zwitterionic nature such as antifouling ability, low cellular uptake and prolonged circulation time similar with common hydrophilic polymers, including polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) and poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) functional gold nanoparticles in physiological environment (pH 7.4). A high sensitivity and reversible positive charge conversion of P(MPTSA)-@-Au NPs at tumor slight acidic microenvironment (∼pH 6.8) leaded to an enhanced cellular internalization than that at pH 7.4 and increased tumor accumulation compared with PEG, polycarboxybetaines and polymer sulphobetaine (PSB) functional gold nanoparticles. The highly pH responsive PMPTSA will provide the promising application in cancer nanomedicine.

Tropical-temperate comparisons in insect seed predation vary between study levels and years.

The biotic interaction hypothesis, which states the species interaction becomes stronger in the tropics, is deeply rooted in classic ecological literature and widely accepted to contribute to the latitudinal gradients of biodiversity. Tests in latitudinal insect-plant interaction have emphasized leaf-eating insects on a single or a few plant species rather than within an entire community and mixed accumulating evidence, leaving the biotic interaction hypothesis disputed. We aimed to test the hypothesis by quantifying insect seed predation in a pair of tropical and temperate forest communities with similar elevations. We applied a consistent study design to sample predispersal seeds with systematically set seed traps in 2019-2020 and examined internally feeding insects. The intensity of seed predation was measured and further applied to tropical versus temperate comparison at two levels (cross-species and community-wide). Our results showed every latitudinal pattern associated with different study levels and years, that is, negative (greater granivory in the tropics in community-wide comparison in 2020), positive (less granivory in the tropics in community-wide and cross-species comparison in 2019), and missing (similar level of granivory in the tropics in cross-species comparisons in 2020). The cross-species level analyses ignore differences among species in seed production and weaken or even lose the latitudinal trend detected by community-wide comparisons. The between-year discrepancy in tropical-temperate comparisons relates to the highly variable annual seed composition in the temperate forest due to mast seeding of dominant species. Our study highlights that long-term community-level researches across biomes are essential to assess the latitudinal biotic interaction hypothesis.

An Acid-Sensitive Nanofiber Conjugate Based on a Short Aromatic Peptide for Targeted Delivery of Doxorubicin in Liver Cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to construct a DOX conjugate with liver tumor targeting and acid sensitivity based on a short aromatic peptide FFYEE, which could amplify the tumor inhibition efficacy of DOX and alleviate tissue toxicity. Methods: A novel DOX-peptide conjugate, D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX, was constructed by linking DOX to the side chain of FFYEE with acid-sensitive hydrazone bond and by modifying the C-terminal of peptide with α-D-galactosamine (D-gal) as targeting ligand. The structure of D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX was characterized by mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy (IR), and UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The assembly characteristics of pentapeptide FFYEE and D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). In vitro drug release, cytotoxicity, endocytosis, in vivo antitumor experiment and histopathology analysis were investigated. Results: Peptide FFYEE endowed the D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX with self-assembly performance and improved biocompatibility. D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX can self-assemble into nanofibers with a diameter of ~ 40 nm in neutral aqueous solution and significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of free DOX to L02 cells. In vitro drug release results showed that D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX had acid sensitivity and controlled release characteristics. The cytotoxicity and endocytosis investigations confirmed that D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX enhanced the cellular uptake of DOX and inhibition effect on HepG2 cells. In vivo antitumor experiment indicated that D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX could significantly inhibit the growth of liver tumor in mice and reduce the side effects of DOX. Conclusion: The conjugate D-gal-FFYEE-hyd-DOX with liver tumor targeting and acid sensitivity has the characteristics of strong tumor inhibition and low toxicity, hinting the great clinical application potential for targeted delivery of DOX in cancer treatment.

The Psychophysiological Profile and Cardiac Autonomic Reactivity in Long-Term Female Yoga Practitioners: A Comparison with Runners and Sedentary Individuals.

Yoga practice, a means of stress management, has been reported to optimize psychophysiological health; however, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychophysiological profile and cardiac autonomic reactivity in long-term yoga practitioners and compare them to runners and sedentary individuals. Psychological health and aerobic fitness level were evaluated using self-reported questionnaires and a 3-min step test. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters were recorded at rest, as well as during and following psychological stress, which was elicited by the Stroop color and word test and the mental arithmetic task. The yoga group demonstrated a lower RR (10.35 ± 2.13 bpm) as compared to the other two groups, and a lower HR (66.60 ± 7.55 bpm) and diastolic BP (67.75 ± 8.38 mmHg) at rest when compared to the sedentary group (all p < 0.05). HRV parameters following mental stress returned to the baseline in yoga and running groups, but not in the sedentary group. The anxiety level in the running group was significantly lower than that in the sedentary group (p < 0.05). These findings suggested that yoga practitioners may have a greater homeostatic capacity and autonomic resilience than do sedentary individuals.

A Physiological-Signal-Based Thermal Sensation Model for Indoor Environment Thermal Comfort Evaluation.

Traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control systems rely mostly on static models, such as Fanger's predicted mean vote (PMV) to predict human thermal comfort in indoor environments. Such models consider environmental parameters, such as room temperature, humidity, etc., and indirect human factors, such as metabolic rate, clothing, etc., which do not necessarily reflect the actual human thermal comfort. Therefore, as electronic sensor devices have become widely used, we propose to develop a thermal sensation (TS) model that takes in humans' physiological signals for consideration in addition to the environment parameters. We conduct climate chamber experiments to collect physiological signals and personal TS under different environments. The collected physiological signals are ECG, EEG, EMG, GSR, and body temperatures. As a preliminary study, we conducted experiments on young subjects under static behaviors by controlling the room temperature, fan speed, and humidity. The results show that our physiological-signal-based TS model performs much better than the PMV model, with average RMSEs 0.75 vs. 1.07 (lower is better) and R2 0.77 vs. 0.43 (higher is better), respectively, meaning that our model prediction has higher accuracy and better explainability. The experiments also ranked the importance of physiological signals (as EMG, body temperature, ECG, and EEG, in descending order) so they can be selectively adopted according to the feasibility of signal collection in different application scenarios. This study demonstrates the usefulness of physiological signals in TS prediction and motivates further thorough research on wider scenarios, such as ages, health condition, static/motion/sports behaviors, etc.

Synergistic size and charge conversions of functionalized PAMAM dendrimers under the acidic tumor microenvironment.

Developing nanomedicine with highly adaptive behaviors has shown great effectiveness in cancer treatment. However, the multi-functional integration of nano-therapeutic systems inevitably leads to complexity in the structure and impairs the operational efficiency or performance. Herein, we describe a novel nano-therapeutic system, G4-AB, capable of simultaneous dual conversions of the size and charge while targeting the acidic tumor microenvironment. G4-AB, containing a hydrophobic inner cavity for doxorubicin (DOX) loading, was synthesized by modifying amine-terminated 4th-generation polyamidoamine (G4-PAMAM) dendrimers with acylsulfonamide betaine (AB). Due to the dipole-dipole interaction among the AB moieties, G4-AB self-assembles to form micellar clusters with a zwitterionic surface. Possessing an anti-fouling property and suitable size, G4-AB exhibits optimized blood circulation under physiological pH conditions. Moreover, the extracellular pH value of the tumor microenvironment (pH 6.5) can trigger the protonation of acylsulfonamide, resulting in the cationization of AB and dissociation of G4-AB into unimolecular micelles (∼12 nm) due to electrostatic repulsion. The synergistic dual conversions further ensure drug accumulation with enhanced tumor penetration and cell internalization. The in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the G4-AB-DOX nano-therapeutic system possesses better antitumor efficiency and lower toxicity than free DOX or PEGylated PAMAM.

Effect of abdominal weight training with and without cough machine assistance on lung function in the patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation: a randomized trial.

PURPOSE: The patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) have the risk of ineffective coughing and infection due to diaphragm weakness. This study aimed to explore the effect of abdominal weight training (AWT) intervention with/without cough machine (CM) assistance on lung function, respiratory muscle strength and cough ability in these patients. METHODS: Forty patients with PMV were randomly assigned to three groups: AWT group (n = 12), AWT + CM group (n = 14) and control group (n = 14). Change of maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), Maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) and peak cough flow (PCF) between 1 day before and 2 weeks after the intervention were compared among these three groups. RESULTS: MIP before and after intervention in AWT group (30.50 ± 11.73 vs. 36.00 ± 10.79; p < 0.05) and AWT + CM group (29.8 ± 12.14 vs. 36.14 ± 10.42; p < 0.05) compared with control group (28.43 ± 9.74 vs 26.71 ± 10.77; p > 0.05) was significantly improved. MEP before and after intervention in AWT group (30.58 ± 15.19 vs. 41.50 ± 18.33; p < 0.05) and AWT + CM group (27.29 ± 12.76 vs 42.43 ± 16.96; p < 0.05) compared with control group (28.86 ± 10.25 vs. 29.57 ± 14.21; p > 0.05) was significantly improved. PCF before and after intervention in AWT group in AWT group (105.83 ± 16.21 vs. 114.17 ± 15.20; p < 0.05) and AWT + CM group (108.57 ± 18.85 vs. 131.79 ± 38.96; p < 0.05) compared to control group (108.57 ± 19.96 vs. 109.86 ± 17.44; p > 0.05) showed significant improvements. AWT + CM group had significantly greater improvements than control group in MIP and peak cough flow than control group (13.71 ± 11.28 vs 19.64 ± 29.90, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: AWT can significantly improve lung function, respiratory muscle strength, and cough ability in the PMV patients. AWT + CM can further improve their expiratory muscle strength and cough ability. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov registry (registration number: NCT0529538 retrospectively registered on March 3, 2022).

Interactive Digital Game for Improving Visual-Perceptual Defects in Children With a Developmental Disability: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Visual-perceptual defects in children can negatively affect their ability to perform activities of daily living. Conventional rehabilitation training for correcting visual-perceptual defects has limited training patterns and limited interactivity, which makes motivation difficult to sustain. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop and evaluate an interactive digital game system for correcting visual-perceptual defects and evaluate its effectiveness. METHODS: Participants were children aged 5 to 10 years with a diagnosis of visual-perceptual defect associated with a developmental disability. The children were randomized into a digital game group who received the traditional course of rehabilitation combined with an interactive digital game intervention (n=12) and a standard rehabilitation group (n=11) who only received the traditional course of rehabilitation. Each group underwent rehabilitation once a week for 4 weeks. Overall improvement in Test of Visual Perceptual Skills 3rd edition (TVPS-3) score and overall improvement in performance in the interactive digital game were evaluated. Parents and therapists were asked to complete a satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: After 4 weeks, the TVPS-3 score had significantly increased (P=.002) in the digital game group (pre: mean 41.67, SD 13.88; post: 61.50, SD 21.64). In the standard rehabilitation group, the TVPS-3 score also increased, but the increase was not statistically significant (P=.58). Additionally, TVPS-3 score increases were significantly larger for the digital game group compared with those for the standard rehabilitation group (P=.005). Moreover, both parents and therapists were highly satisfied with the system. All 5 themes of satisfaction had mean scores higher than 4 in a 5-point scale questionnaire (mean 4.30, SD 0.56). CONCLUSIONS: The system has potential applications for improving visual-perceptual function in children undergoing medical rehabilitation for developmental disability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05016492; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05016492.

Training Benefits and Injury Risks of Standing Yoga Applied in Musculoskeletal Problems: Lower Limb Biomechanical Analysis.

Standing yoga poses strengthen a person's legs and helps to achieve the goal of musculoskeletal rehabilitation, but inadequate exercise planning can cause injuries. This study investigated changes in the electromyogram and joint moments of force (JMOFs) of lower extremities during common standing yoga poses in order to explore the feasibility and possible injury risk in dealing with musculoskeletal problems. Eleven yoga instructors were recruited to execute five yoga poses (Chair, Tree, Warrior 1, 2, and 3). The results revealed significant differences in hip, knee, and ankle JMOFs and varying degrees of muscle activation among the poses. Among these poses, rectus femoris muscle activation during the Chair pose was the highest, Warrior 2 produced the highest muscle activation in the vastus lateralis of the front limb, while Warrior 1 had the highest muscle activation in the vastus medialis of the back limb. Therefore, all three poses can possibly be suggested as a therapeutic intervention for quadriceps strengthening. Warrior 1 was possibly suggested as a therapeutic intervention in order to reduce excessive lateral overload of the patella, but the possible adverse effects of Warrior 2 with the highest knee adductor JMOF in the back limb could raise joint reaction forces across the medial condyles. In single-leg balance postures, Warrior 3 had unique training effects on the hamstring, and is therefore suggested as a part of hamstring rehabilitation exercises. The Tree pose induced low lower-extremity JMOFs and a low level of thigh muscle activations when it was performed by senior instructors with excellent balance control; however, for yoga beginners with insufficient stability, it will be a useful training mode for strengthening the muscles that help to keep one upright. This study quantified the physical demands of yoga poses using biomechanical data and elucidated the structures and principles underlying each yoga movement. This is crucial for yoga practitioners.

The Associations between Self-Determined Motivation, Multidimensional Self-Efficacy, and Device-Measured Physical Activity.

Self-determined motivation (SDT) and self-efficacy theory have been widely used for understanding individuals' physical activity motivation and self-efficacy. However, there is a gap of evidence on the relations between SDT and multidimensional self-efficacy with device-measured physical activity in healthy adults. Questionnaires including the behavior regulation in exercise questionnaire version 2 (BREQ-2) and the multidimensional self-efficacy for exercise scale (MSES) were completed by the participants at baseline. All participants wore an accelerometer for seven days to record their physical activities at baseline and eight-week follow up. In total, thirty healthy adults completed the study (12 men, 18 women). The results showed that intrinsic motivation and scheduling self-efficacy had significantly positive associations with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity energy expenditure and duration. Multiple regression analysis showed that the relative autonomy index, task and scheduling efficacy could predict physical activity at baseline, but no SDT or self-efficacy variable could predict physical activity behavior after eight weeks. These results showed that the associations between motivation and self-efficacy with physical activity might change within a short period of time, which suggests that the regular assessment of motivation and self-efficacy might be needed in interventional programs to promote continued physical activity participation in healthy adults.

Creating a Scoring System with an Armband Wearable Device for Table Tennis Forehand Loop Training: Combined Use of the Principal Component Analysis and Artificial Neural Network.

BACKGROUND: This study presents an intelligent table tennis e-training system based on a neural network (NN) model that recognizes data from sensors built into an armband device, with the component values (performances scores) estimated through principal component analysis (PCA). METHODS: Six expert male table tennis players on the National Youth Team (mean age 17.8 ± 1.2 years) and seven novice male players (mean age 20.5 ± 1.5 years) with less than 1 year of experience were recruited into the study. Three-axis peak forearm angular velocity, acceleration, and eight-channel integrated electromyographic data were used to classify both player level and stroke phase. Data were preprocessed through PCA extraction from forehand loop signals. The model was trained using 160 datasets from five experts and five novices and validated using 48 new datasets from one expert and two novices. RESULTS: The overall model's recognition accuracy was 89.84%, and its prediction accuracies for testing and new data were 93.75% and 85.42%, respectively. Principal components corresponding to the skills "explosive force of the forearm" and "wrist muscle control" were extracted, and their factor scores were standardized (0-100) to score the skills of the players. Assessment results indicated that expert scores generally fell between 60 and 100, whereas novice scores were less than 70. CONCLUSION: The developed system can provide useful information to quantify expert-novice differences in fore-hand loop skills.

Affective Responses during High-Intensity Interval Exercise Compared with Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise in Inactive Women.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of an acute bout of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) on affective responses in inactive women. Thirty women with normal body mass index (BMI) and 30 women with BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 participated in the study. All participants completed a graded exercise test and performed two exercise sessions (HIIE and MICE) in random order. Affective responses were assessed during and after each exercise session, using the rating of perceived exertion (RPE), Self-Assessment-Manikin (SAM), and Subjective Exercise Experience Scale (SEES). The results showed that the RPE scores were significantly higher in HIIE than in MICE. HIIE resulted in significantly lower pleasure scores using the SAM while arousal and dominance scores were significantly higher with HIIE compared to MICE. Positive well-being scores using the SEES were significantly lower with HIIE and both psychological distress and fatigue scores were significantly higher with HIIE. The results showed that affective responses with MICE were more positive than with HIIE, but no differences were found between normal and overweight/obese women. Based on these results, MICE may be a more acceptable exercise program for inactive women regardless of their weight status.

Anxiety impact on scuba performance and underwater cognitive processing ability.

INTRODUCTION: Anxiety is a substantial consideration in scuba diving and may influence a diver's performance and cognitive activities. This study aimed to simultaneously observe the effect of anxiety trait on actual diving performance and underwater cognitive processing ability. METHODS: Twenty-seven scuba divers completed the STAI-T component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and were subdivided into two groups on the basis of trait anxiety scores ≥ 39 and < 39. Scuba diving performance was measured in a pool. The completion time of four standardised scuba skills was recorded by a diving instructor. The correct completion rate and response time for a cognitive function assessment (number-Stroop test) were measured both on land ('dry') and underwater at 5 metres' fresh water. RESULTS: Anxiety trait was associated with prolonged mask clearing: mean completion time 7.1 (SD 3.2) s vs. 10.8 (5.4) s in low and high anxiety trait divers respectively (P = 0.04). Low (vs high) anxiety trait divers had reduced response times for the number-Stroop test: 49.8 (3.0) s vs. 53.3 (5.4) s (P = 0.04) dry, and 64.4 (5.0) s vs. 72.5 (5.5) s (P < 0.01) underwater. Performance of other skills was not significantly affected by trait anxiety nor correlated with the number-Stroop test results. CONCLUSIONS: Personal anxiety trait prolongs mask clearing and underwater cognitive processing ability but the latter did not affect execution of other underwater scuba diving skills.

Effects of Exergames on Physical Fitness in Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Taiwan.

Using exergaming for exercise training was found to improve physical fitness. Yet, few studies have used the "Xbox Kinect" to examine its effects on physical fitness in healthy middle-aged and older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 10-weeks of Xbox Kinect training on physical fitness in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Forty participants (average 64.00 ± 4.44 years old, eight males and 32 females) were randomized to either intervention (n = 20) or control group (n = 20). The intervention group played Xbox Kinect three times per week, for an average of 50 min per session for 10 weeks. The control group was instructed to maintain their levels of physical activity. All the participants completed assessments of body composition, muscle strength, flexibility, balance and cardiopulmonary endurance at baseline and after 10-week intervention. After 10 weeks of training, the intervention group showed significant improvements in cardiopulmonary endurance and leg muscle strength. Moreover, there were significant differences between the intervention and control group in changes in aerobic fitness and leg muscle strength. The exergame program effectively improved cardiopulmonary endurance and leg muscle strength in healthy middle-aged and older adults. It could be an alternative to conventional exercise.

Correction to: Hsa_circ_0058124 promotes papillary thyroid cancer tumorigenesis and invasiveness through the NOTCH3/GATAD2A axis.

In the original publication of this manuscript [1], the Fig. 6a invasion si-hsa_circ_0058124_2# group (row 2 right and row 3 right) and Fig. 9c TPC-1 clone formation assay control group (row 1 left) were misplaced and need to be revised. The updated figures are shown below.

Hsa_circ_0058124 promotes papillary thyroid cancer tumorigenesis and invasiveness through the NOTCH3/GATAD2A axis.

BACKGROUND: Despite a good and overall prognosis, papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) can still affect the quality of life of many patients, and can even be life-threatening due to its invasiveness and metastasis. Emerging studies demonstrate that circular RNAs (circRNAs) participate in the regulation of various cancers. However, the circRNA profile in invasive PTC is still not well understood. METHODS: Competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) microarrays were performed to determine circRNAs contributed to the tumorigenesis and invasiveness of PTC. Bioinformatics methods were used to narrow down the candidate circRNAs. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays revealed a significant upregulation of hsa_circ_0058124 in PTC tissue and a close correlation with a poor prognosis for PTC patients. RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization and Cell fractionation assay were used to investigate the subcellular location of hsa_circ_0058124. Then, we examined the functions of hsa_circ_0058124 in PTC by cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration and invasion assay. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing and GSEA analysis were applied to predict the downstream pathway of hsa_circ_0058124. Dual-luciferase report assays were used to explore the potential miRNA sponge role of hsa_circ_0058124. Western blotting, cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, migration and invasion, and mouse xenograft assay were used to validate the effects of hsa_circ_0058124/NOTCH3/GATAD2A axis on PTC progression. RESULTS: In the current study, a novel hsa_circ_0058124 on 2q35 was identified and explored in PTC. Hsa_circ_0058124 is associated with the malignant features and poor outcomes of PTC patients. Hsa_circ_0058124 acts as an oncogenic driver that promotes PTC cell proliferation, tumorigenicity, tumor invasion, and metastasis, which functions as a competing endogenous RNA to modulate miRNA-218-5p and its target gene NUMB expression, and consequently with repression of the NOTCH3/GATAD2A signaling axis in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: This study unveils a novel biomarker panel consisting of the hsa_circ_0058124/NOTCH3/GATAD2A axis which is critical for PTC tumorigenesis and invasiveness and may represent a novel therapeutic target for intervening in PTC progression.