Study of association of leptin with leukocyte telomere length in a Chinese rural population.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated the relationship between adipocyte factors, insulin resistance, and other indicators with telomere length. However, these studies did not consider the influence of changes in different indicators on telomere length over time. Therefore, the aim of this study is to elucidate the impact of changes in adipocyte factors, HOMA-IR, and other indicators on the dynamic variation of telomere length. METHODS: The data were from a cohort study conducted in Ningxia, China. A total of 1624 subjects were analyzed. Adipokines and relative leukocyte telomere length (RLTL) were measured, and changes in Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), Homeostatic Model Assessment for ß-Cell Function (HOMA-ß), and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) were calculated. Generalized linear models evaluated associations between changes in adipokines and RLTL changes. Furthermore, univariate analyses examined the effects of changes in adipokines and insulin resistance indicators on ΔRLTL. RESULTS: The research findings indicate that females generally have shorter telomeres compared to males. In comparison to the low-level group of Δleptin (LEP), the high-level group of ΔLEP shows a negative correlation with ΔRLTL (B=-1.32, 95% CI (-2.38, -0.27)). Even after multivariable adjustments, this relationship persists (B=-1.31, 95% CI (-2.24, -0.23)). Further analysis reveals that after adjusting for ΔHOMA-IR, ΔHOMA-ß, and ΔQUICKI, the high-level group of ΔLEP still exhibits a significant negative correlation with ΔRLTL (B=-1.37, 95% CI (-2.43, -0.31)). However, the interaction effects between ΔHOMA-IR, ΔHOMA-ß, ΔQUICKI, and ΔLEP do not affect ΔRLTL. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated levels of leptin were significantly correlated with shortened telomere length. This suggests that increased leptin levels may impact overall individual health by affecting telomere length, underscoring the importance of measures to reduce leptin levels to mitigate the onset and progression of related diseases.

RNA three-dimensional structure drives the sequence organization of potato spindle tuber viroid quasispecies.

RNA viruses and viroids exist and evolve as quasispecies due to error-prone replication. Quasispecies consist of a few dominant master sequences alongside numerous variants that contribute to genetic diversity. Upon environmental changes, certain variants within quasispecies have the potential to become the dominant sequences, leading to the emergence of novel infectious strains. However, the emergence of new infectious variants remains unpredictable. Using mutant pools prepared by saturation mutagenesis of selected stem and loop regions, our study of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) demonstrates that mutants forming local three-dimensional (3D) structures similar to the wild type (WT) are more likely to accumulate in PSTVd quasispecies. The selection mechanisms underlying this biased accumulation are likely associated with cell-to-cell movement and long-distance trafficking. Moreover, certain trafficking-defective PSTVd mutants can be spread by functional sister genomes in the quasispecies. Our study reveals that the RNA 3D structure of stems and loops constrains the evolution of viroid quasispecies. Mutants with a structure similar to WT have a higher likelihood of being maintained within the quasispecies and can potentially give rise to novel infectious variants. These findings emphasize the potential of targeting RNA 3D structure as a more robust approach to defend against viroid infections.

Light3DHS: A lightweight 3D hippocampus segmentation method using multiscale convolution attention and vision transformer.

The morphological analysis and volume measurement of the hippocampus are crucial to the study of many brain diseases. Therefore, an accurate hippocampal segmentation method is beneficial for the development of clinical research in brain diseases. U-Net and its variants have become prevalent in hippocampus segmentation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) due to their effectiveness, and the architecture based on Transformer has also received some attention. However, some existing methods focus too much on the shape and volume of the hippocampus rather than its spatial information, and the extracted information is independent of each other, ignoring the correlation between local and global features. In addition, many methods cannot be effectively applied to practical medical image segmentation due to many parameters and high computational complexity. To this end, we combined the advantages of CNNs and ViTs (Vision Transformer) and proposed a simple and lightweight model: Light3DHS for the segmentation of the 3D hippocampus. In order to obtain richer local contextual features, the encoder first utilizes a multi-scale convolutional attention module (MCA) to learn the spatial information of the hippocampus. Considering the importance of local features and global semantics for 3D segmentation, we used a lightweight ViT to learn high-level features of scale invariance and further fuse local-to-global representation. To evaluate the effectiveness of encoder feature representation, we designed three decoders of different complexity to generate segmentation maps. Experiments on three common hippocampal datasets demonstrate that the network achieves more accurate hippocampus segmentation with fewer parameters. Light3DHS performs better than other state-of-the-art algorithms.

Punicalagin attenuates hyperuricemia via restoring hyperuricemia-induced renal and intestinal dysfunctions.

INTRODUCTION: It is estimated that 90% of hyperuricemia cases are attributed to the inability to excrete uric acid (UA). The two main organs in charge of excreting UA are the kidney (70%) and intestine (30%). Previous studies have reported that punicalagin (PU) could protect against kidney and intestinal damages, which makes it a potential candidate for alleviating hyperuricemia. However, the effects and deeper action mechanisms of PU for managing hyperuricemia are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and action mechanisms of PU for ameliorating hyperuricemia. METHODS: The effects and action mechanisms of PU on hyperuricemia were assessed using a hyperuricemia mice model. Phenotypic parameters, metabolomics analysis, and 16S rRNA sequencing were applied to explore the effect and fundamental action mechanisms inside the kidney and intestine of PU for improving hyperuricemia. RESULTS: PU administration significantly decreased elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels in hyperuricemia mice, and effectively alleviated the kidney and intestinal damage caused by hyperuricemia. In the kidney, PU down-regulated the expression of UA resorption protein URAT1 and GLUT9, while up-regulating the expression of UA excretion protein ABCG2 and OAT1 as mediated via the activation of MAKP/NF-κB in hyperuricemia mice. Additionally, PU attenuated renal glycometabolism disorder, which contributed to improving kidney dysfunction and inflammation. Similarly, PU increased UA excretion protein expression via inhibiting MAKP/NF-κB activation in the intestine of hyperuricemia mice. Furthermore, PU restored gut microbiota dysbiosis in hyperuricemia mice. CONCLUSION: This research revealed the ameliorating impacts of PU on hyperuricemia by restoring kidney and intestine damage in hyperuricemia mice, and to be considered for the development of nutraceuticals used as UA-lowering agent.

Association between dietary antioxidant capacity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese adults: a population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Higher intakes of dietary antioxidants have been linked to a lower type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk. However, few studies have comprehensively examined the overall dietary antioxidant capacity, assessed by dietary antioxidant quality scores (DAQS) and dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC), related to T2DM risk, especially in populations consuming relatively monotonous diets. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of DAQS, DTAC, and T2DM among rural Chinese adults. METHODS: Data from 12,467 participants from the Natural Population Cohort of Northwest China: Ningxia Project was analyzed. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. DAQS were calculated based on vitamins A, C, and E, zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) intake. DTAC was estimated using the ferric-reducing ability of plasma assay. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations of DAQS and DTAC with T2DM risk. Restricted cubic splines were used to assess potential non-linear relationships between DTAC and T2DM. RESULTS: T2DM was observed in 1,238 (9.9%) participants. After adjusting for confounders, compared to the lowest tertiles (T1) of DAQS, the odds ratios (ORs) for T2DM were 1.03 (95% CI 0.82-1.30) in T2 and 0.85 (95% CI 0.68-1.06) in T3 (P = 0.010). Compared to T1, the ORs for T2DM in the highest T3 were 0.78 (95% CI 0.67-0.91, P-trend = 0.008) for vitamin A, 1.34 (95% CI 1.15-1.56, P-trend < 0.001) for vitamin E, 0.83 (95% CI 0.71-0.97, P-trend = 0.007) for Se, and 0.86 (95% CI 0.74-1.01, P-trend = 0.033) for Zn. Compared to the lowest quartile(Q1) of DTAC, the OR in the highest Q4 was 0.96 (95% CI 0.80-1.17, P-trend = 0.024) for T2DM. A non-linear relationship was observed between DATC and T2DM. CONCLUSION: Higher DAQS and DATC were associated with a lower T2DM risk, suggesting that consuming antioxidant-rich foods may reduce the T2DM risk.

Neuromuscular organoids model spinal neuromuscular pathologies in C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene are the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. Due to the lack of trunk neuromuscular organoids (NMOs) from ALS patients' induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), an organoid system was missing to model the trunk spinal neuromuscular neurodegeneration. With the C9orf72 ALS patient-derived iPSCs and isogenic controls, we used an NMO system containing trunk spinal cord neural and peripheral muscular tissues to show that the ALS NMOs could model peripheral defects in ALS, including contraction weakness, neural denervation, and loss of Schwann cells. The neurons and astrocytes in ALS NMOs manifested the RNA foci and dipeptide repeat proteins. Acute treatment with the unfolded protein response inhibitor GSK2606414 increased the glutamatergic muscular contraction 2-fold and reduced the dipeptide repeat protein aggregation and autophagy. This study provides an organoid system for spinal neuromuscular pathologies in ALS and its application for drug testing.

Ca2LaTaO6:Bi3+/Mn4+ Phosphors with High Brightness Far-Red Emitting and Luminescence Enhancement for Plant Growth LED Lights and Temperature Sensor.

Herein, Bi3+/Mn4+ doped Ca2LaTaO6 phosphors with a double-perovskite structure were successfully synthesized with solid-state reaction at high temperature. The photoluminescence (PL) performances were investigated in detail. The blue radiation (∼465 nm) from the Bi3+ ion and the red radiation (∼686 nm) originating from the Mn4+ ion were obtained under 313 nm excitation. Especially, the pathway of energy transfer (Bi3+ → Mn4+) contributes to enhance the red emission intensity (Mn4+: ∼686 nm) in Ca2LaTaO6:Bi3+/Mn4+ system. The PL mechanism of Ca2LaTaO6:Bi3+/Mn4+ was analyzed through luminescence lifetimes and PL spectra. Moreover, the emitting bands of Ca2LaTaO6:Bi3+/Mn4+ were primarily matched with the absorbing bands of carotenoids and phytochrome PFR on behalf of plant growth, so the phosphors were suitable for the design of a plant growth light under near-ultraviolet to blue excitation. At last, the optical temperature dependent performances of the Ca2LaTaO6:Bi3+/Mn4+ were analyzed with luminescence intensity ratio technology. The sample has presented excellent temperature measuring relative sensitivity (SR = 2.106% K-1). The results illustrated that the Ca2LaTaO6:Bi3+/Mn4+ phosphor also can be used to develop an optical temperature sensor.

Viroid Replication, Movement, and the Host Factors Involved.

Viroids represent distinctive infectious agents composed solely of short, single-stranded, circular RNA molecules. In contrast to viruses, viroids do not encode for proteins and lack a protective coat protein. Despite their apparent simplicity, viroids have the capacity to induce diseases in plants. Currently, extensive research is being conducted on the replication cycle of viroids within both the Pospiviroidae and Avsunviroidae families, shedding light on the intricacies of the associated host factors. Utilizing the potato spindle tuber viroid as a model, investigations into the RNA structural motifs involved in viroid trafficking between different cell types have been thorough. Nevertheless, our understanding of the host factors responsible for the intra- and inter-cellular movement of viroids remains highly incomplete. This review consolidates our current knowledge of viroid replication and movement within both families, emphasizing the structural basis required and the identified host factors involved. Additionally, we explore potential host factors that may mediate the intra- and inter-cellular movement of viroids, addressing gaps in our understanding. Moreover, the potential application of viroids and the emergence of novel viroid-like cellular parasites are also discussed.

Knockout of SlDCL2b attenuates the resistance of tomato to potato spindle tuber viroid infection.

RNA interference, or RNA silencing, is an important defence mechanism against viroid infection in plants. Plants encode multiple DICER-LIKE (DCL) proteins that are key components of the RNA silencing pathway. However, the roles of different DCLs in defence responses against viroid infection remain unclear. Here, we determined the function of tomato DCL2b (SlDCL2b) in defence responses against potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) infection using SlDCL2b loss-of-function tomato mutant plants. Compared with wild-type plants, mutant plants were more susceptible to PSTVd infection, developing more severe symptoms earlier and accumulating higher levels of PSTVd RNAs. Moreover, we verified the feedback mechanism for the regulation of SlDCL2b expression by miR6026. Functional blocking of tomato miR6026, by expressing its target mimics, can enhance resistance to PSTVd infection in tomato plants. These findings deepen the current understanding of RNAi-based resistance against viroid infection and provide a potentially new strategy for viroid control.

Machine Learning Accelerates De Novo Design of Antimicrobial Peptides.

Efficient and precise design of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is of great importance in the field of AMP development. Computing provides opportunities for peptide de novo design. In the present investigation, a new machine learning-based AMP prediction model, AP_Sin, was trained using 1160 AMP sequences and 1160 non-AMP sequences. The results showed that AP_Sin correctly classified 94.61% of AMPs on a comprehensive dataset, outperforming the mainstream and open-source models (Antimicrobial Peptide Scanner vr.2, iAMPpred and AMPlify) and being effective in identifying AMPs. In addition, a peptide sequence generator, AP_Gen, was devised based on the concept of recombining dominant amino acids and dipeptide compositions. After inputting the parameters of the 71 tridecapeptides from antimicrobial peptides database (APD3) into AP_Gen, a tridecapeptide bank consisting of de novo designed 17,496 tridecapeptide sequences were randomly generated, from which 2675 candidate AMP sequences were identified by AP_Sin. Chemical synthesis was performed on 180 randomly selected candidate AMP sequences, of which 18 showed high antimicrobial activities against a wide range of the tested pathogenic microorganisms, and 16 of which had a minimal inhibitory concentration of less than 10 µg/mL against at least one of the tested pathogenic microorganisms. The method established in this research accelerates the discovery of valuable candidate AMPs and provides a novel approach for de novo design of antimicrobial peptides.

Sex-specific associations between placental corticotropin releasing hormone and problem behaviors in childhood.

Placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) is a neuroactive peptide produced in high concentrations in mid-late pregnancy, during key periods of fetal brain development. Some evidence suggests that higher pCRH exposure during gestation is associated with adverse neurodevelopment, particularly in female offspring. In 858 mother-child dyads from the sociodemographically diverse CANDLE cohort (Memphis, TN), we examined: (1) the slope of pCRH rise in mid-late pregnancy and (2) estimated pCRH at delivery as a measure of cumulative prenatal exposure. When children were 4 years-old, mothers reported on problem behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and cognitive performance was assessed by trained psychologists using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales. We fitted linear regression models examining pCRH in relation to behavioral and cognitive performance measures, adjusting for covariates. Using interaction models, we evaluated whether associations differed by fetal sex, breastfeeding, and postnatal neighborhood opportunity. In the full cohort, log-transformed pCRH measures were not associated with outcomes; however, we observed sex differences in some models (interaction p-values≤0.01). In male offspring, an interquartile (IQR) increase in pCRH slope (but not estimated pCRH at delivery), was positively associated with raw Total (ß=3.06, 95%CI: 0.40, 5.72), Internalizing (ß=0.89, 95%CI: 0.03, 1.76), and Externalizing (ß=1.25, 95%CI: 0.27, 2.22) Problem scores, whereas, in females, all associations were negative (Total Problems: ß=-1.99, 95%CI: -3.89, -0.09; Internalizing: ß=-0.82, 95%CI: -1.42, -0.23; Externalizing: ß=-0.56, 95%CI: -1.34, 0.22). No associations with cognitive performance were observed nor did we observe moderation by breastfeeding or postnatal neighborhood opportunity. Our results provide further evidence that prenatal pCRH exposure may impact subsequent child behavior in sex-specific ways, however in contrast to prior studies suggesting adverse impacts in females, steeper mid-gestation pCRH rise was associated with more problem behaviors in males, but fewer in females.

Dietary inflammatory index, dietary total antioxidant capacity, and frailty among older Chinese adults.

OBJECTIVES: Frailty is an age-related syndrome associated with poor health outcomes. Studies in developed countries indicate that the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) are important dietary factors influencing the risk of frailty in older adults. However, few studies have explored the association between DII, DTAC, and frailty among older Chinese adults. The objective of the current study was to examine whether DII and DTAC were associated with pre-frailty or frailty among older Chinese adults. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Community-based. PARTICIPANTS: We included 6414 participants aged ≥60 years. MEASUREMENTS: Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The DII and energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) were calculated using food parameters. DTAC was estimated using two widely adopted antioxidant scores: DTAC based on ferric reducing antioxidant power and dietary antioxidant quality score (DAQS) obtained from vitamins (vitamins A, C, and E) and minerals (zinc and selenium) with antioxidant functions. Frailty was assessed using the frailty index (FI) calculated from 28 health-related deficits. Individuals were classified as robust (FI ≤ 0.10), pre-frailty (FI > 0.10 to <0.25), or frailty (FI ≥ 0.25). Multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations of DII and DTAC with pre-frailty and frailty. RESULTS: After adjusting for confounding factors, individuals in the highest DII quintile (Q5) were more likely to have pre-frailty (odds ratio [OR] = 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-1.93; P for trend <0.001) than those in the lowest Q1. A similar positive association was detected for E-DII and pre-frailty. A significant association was found between DII and frailty. Compared with the lowest Q1, the highest Q5 of DTAC was negatively correlated with pre-frailty (OR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.52-0.84; P for trend <0.001) and frailty (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.50-0.1.03; P for trend <0.001). The DAQS yielded results similar to pre-frailty results (OR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.58-0.89; P < 0.001). There was no evidence suggesting an association between DAQS and frailty. CONCLUSIONS: More proinflammatory diets were linked to higher pre-frailty risk, whereas higher levels of dietary antioxidants were associated with lower pre-frailty and frailty risk among older Chinese adults.

Au/ZnO/In2O3 nanoparticles for enhanced isopropanol gas sensing performance.

In this paper, a series of Au/ZnO/In2O3 nanoparticles are synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The gas sensing properties of Au/ZnO/In2O3 materials are investigated in detail. The response of 2%Au/1%ZnO/In2O3 material to isopropanol increases to six times that of pure In2O3 materials. In contrast to a pure In2O3 sensor, the optimal working temperature of the 2%Au/1%ZnO/In2O3 sensor decreases to 40 °C. The sensing mechanism of Au/ZnO/In2O3 nanoparticles is mainly explained through the influence of the n-n heterojunction formed by In2O3 and ZnO. In addition, the introduction of Au contributes to an increase in the gas response. A possible reason is that the introduction of Au produces smaller sized particles on the sensor surface, creating a larger surface area, enhancing the response.

Synthesis and characterization of ZrO2-ZnO heterojunction composite for isopropanol detection.

We prepared ZrO2-ZnO heterojunction composites by a simple hydrothermal method as materials sensitive to isopropanol gas. The 5% ZrO2-ZnO sample presented a uniform rod-like structure. The optimum operating temperature, sensitivity and response/recovery times were measured to investigate the response of ZrO2-ZnO composites to isopropanol. The sensor based on 5% ZrO2-ZnO composites at an optimum temperature of 260 °C had a response to 100 ppm isopropanol of up to 172.46, which was about 3.6 times higher than that of pure ZnO. The sensor also exhibited fast response and recovery times of 5 s and 11 s, respectively. The gas-sensitive properties can be attributed to the rod-like structure, heterojunction structure and catalytic activity of ZrO2. These results would contribute in expanding the application of ZrO2 in gas sensors.

Mining and rational design of psychrophilic catalases using metagenomics and deep learning models.

A complete catalase-encoding gene, designated soiCat1, was obtained from soil samples via metagenomic sequencing, assembly, and gene prediction. soiCat1 showed 73% identity to a catalase-encoding gene of Mucilaginibacter rubeus strain P1, and the amino acid sequence of soiCAT1 showed 99% similarity to the catalase of a psychrophilic bacterium, Pedobacter cryoconitis. soiCAT1 was identified as a psychrophilic enzyme due to the low optimum temperature predicted by the deep learning model Preoptem, which was subsequently validated through analysis of enzymatic properties. Experimental results showed that soiCAT1 has a very narrow range of optimum temperature, with maximal specific activity occurring at the lowest test temperature (4 °C) and decreasing with increasing reaction temperature from 4 to 50 °C. To rationally design soiCAT1 with an improved temperature range, soiCAT1 was engineered through site-directed mutagenesis based on molecular evolution data analyzed through position-specific amino acid possibility calculation. Compared with the wild type, one mutant, soiCAT1S205K, exhibited an extended range of optimum temperature ranging from 4 to 20 °C. The strategies used in this study may shed light on the mining of genes of interest and rational design of desirable proteins. KEY POINTS: • Numerous putative catalases were mined from soil samples via metagenomics. • A complete sequence encoding a psychrophilic catalase was obtained. • A mutant psychrophilic catalase with an extended range of optimum temperature was engineered through site-directed mutagenesis.

Anti-thermal quenching of luminescence in Y2W3O12:Yb3+/RE3+ (RE = Er/Ho/Tm) and its temperature sensing application.

Herein, a series of Y2W3O12:10%Yb3+/x%RE3+ (RE = Er/Ho/Tm) phosphors is prepared via a solid-state reaction. The upconversion and downshift luminescence properties of the phosphors were investigated under an excitation of 980 nm. The bright blue light emission from Tm3+ ion and the green and red light emissions from Ho3+(Er3+) ions were observed. The near-infrared light intensity of NIR-I (Tm3+, ∼850 nm), NIR-II (Er3+: ∼1550 nm; Tm3+: ∼1783 nm) and NIR-III (Ho3+: ∼2050 nm) were analyzed. In particular, the dramatic thermal enhancement phenomenon in visible and NIR regions was exhibited by the Y2W3O12:10%Yb3+/x%RE3+ (RE = Er/Ho/Tm) phosphors. Among them, the green light intensity of Er3+ ions increased 26.77 times, from 303 to 573 K. The NIR-II emission band (∼1783 nm) intensity of Tm3+ ions at 533 K increased 168.7 times compared to that at 313 K. The possible thermal enhancement mechanism is illustrated by the negative thermal expansion (NTE) and Frenkel defect of the Y2W3O12 host. Finally, the optical temperature sensing performances of Y2W3O12:10%Yb3+/x%RE3+ (RE = Er/Ho/Tm) samples are investigated according to the luminescence intensity dependence relationship on temperature. The maximum value of SR reached 4.24% K-1 at 353 K for Y2W3O12:10%Yb3+/0.6%Ho3+ phosphor. The results indicate that the Y2W3O12:10%Yb3+/x%RE3+ (RE = Er/Ho/Tm) phosphors possess anti-thermal quenching properties and are suitable for developing optical temperature sensors.

Gut microbiome-based therapies for alleviating cognitive impairment: state of the field, limitations, and future perspectives.

Cognitive impairment (CI) is a multifaceted neurological condition that can trigger negative emotions and a range of concurrent symptoms, imposing significant public health and economic burdens on society. Therefore, it is imperative to discover a remedy for CI. Nevertheless, the mechanisms behind the onset of this disease are multifactorial, which makes the search for effective amelioration difficult and complex, hindering the search for effective measures. Intriguingly, preclinical research indicates that gut microbiota by influencing brain function, plays an important role in the progression of CI. Furthermore, numerous preclinical studies have highlighted the potential of probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and diet in modulating the gut microbiota, thereby ameliorating CI symptoms. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of CI pathogenesis, emphasizing the contribution of gut microbiota disorders to CI development. It also summarizes and discusses current strategies and mechanisms centered on the synergistic role of gut microbiota modulation in the microbiota-gut-brain axis in CI development. Finally, problems with existing approaches are contemplated and the development of microbial modulation strategies as therapeutic approaches to promote and restore brain cognition is discussed. Further research considerations and directions are highlighted to provide ideas for future CI prevention and treatment strategies.

Study on the removal of fulvic acid in water by potassium ferrate-enhanced iron-manganese co-oxide film and its mechanism.

The previous studies have shown that iron-manganese co-oxide film (MeOx) could simultaneously remove ammonium, manganese ion and bisphenol A. In this study, the removal of fulvic acid (FA) was explored by adding potassium ferrate (K2FeO4) to heighten the catalytic activity of MeOx. After adding about 3.0 mg/L potassium ferrate, the elimination efficiency of 7.0 mg/L FA by the MeOx increased from 20 to 50%. The effects of temperature and ammonium on the elimination of FA were investigated. Higher temperature (above 22 °C) and higher ammonium concentration (above 2.0 mg/L) caused a decrease in FA removal. Most of FA combined with the ferric hydroxide colloid produced by K2FeO4 in water to form macromolecular groups, and they were subsequently absorbed and covered on the surface of MeOx. Scanning electron microscope showed that more viscous flocs appeared on the surface of MeOx, and the film thickness became thicker. Electron energy-dispersive spectrometer analysis revealed a notable increased in the C-O element ratio and a significant decreased in the Mn-Fe element ratio on the surface of MeOx. From Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the content of transition metal carbonyl compounds increased in the surface of MeOx. XPS analysis confirmed that the presence of Fe3O4, FeO, Mn2O3 and Mn3O4 along with functional group substances of FA attached on the surface of MeOx. The removal mechanism of FA was studied.

Antagonizing Effects of Chromium Against Iron-Decreased Glucose Uptake by Regulating ROS-Mediated PI3K/Akt/GLUT4 Signaling Pathway in C2C12.

To investigate the effect of chromium and iron on glucose metabolism via the PI3K/Akt/GLUT4 signaling pathway. Skeletal muscle gene microarray data in T2DM (GSE7014) was selected using Gene Expression Omnibus database. Element-gene interaction datasets of chromium and iron were extracted from comparative toxicogenomics database (CTD). Gene ontology (GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed using DAVID online tool. Cell viability, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and protein expression level were measured in C2C12 cells. The bioinformatics research indicated that PI3K/Akt signaling pathway participated in the effects of chromium and iron associated with T2DM. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake level was significantly higher in chromium picolinate (Cr group) and lower in ammonium iron citrate (FA group) than that for the control group (P < 0.05); chromium picolinate + ammonium iron citrate (Cr + FA group) glucose uptake level was higher than that for the FA group (P < 0.05). Intracellular ROS level was significantly higher in the FAC group than that for the control group (P < 0.05), and that for the Cr + FA group was lower than that for the FA group (P < 0.05). p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, and GLUT4 levels were significantly lower in the FA group than that for the control group (P < 0.05), and the Cr + FA group had higher levels than the FA group (P < 0.05). Chromium might have a protective effect on iron-induced glucose metabolism abnormalities through the ROS-mediated PI3K/Akt/GLUT4 signaling pathway.

Bidirectional optical response hydrogel with adjustable human comfort temperature for smart windows.

Smart windows are effective in reducing the energy consumption of air conditioning and lighting systems, while contributing to maintaining the comfort zone of temperature in the indoor environment. Currently used smart windows mainly rely on traditional single-phase thermochromic material in which only one abrupt optical change occurs during temperature changes, and their inherent characteristics may not be suited for a practical balance of energy saving and privacy protection. Here, we developed a novel bidirectional optically responsive smart window (BSW) with unique bidirectional optical response features by introducing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/potassium tartrate (PTH) micelles into PNIPAM hydrogel to form a composite hydrogel, which was encapsulated in two glass panels. The upper critical solution temperature (UCST) and lowest critical solution temperature (LCST) of the material can be individually adjusted and are capable of matching the human comfort zone of temperature. In addition, the smart window exhibits remarkable transparency (92.5%), visible light transmission ratio (Tlum = 91.31%), and excellent solar modulation (ΔTsol,UCST = 76.34%, ΔTsol,LCST = 76.75%). Moreover, it possesses selectivity in transmitting light in the infrared band of solar radiation and can complete the "transparent-opaque" transition in a very narrow temperature range (<1 °C). When at comfortable temperatures, the highly transparent smart windows facilitate interior light and appreciation of the view. At low temperatures, SDS/PTH micelles aggregate to form large micelles, blocking the transmission of light and protecting customer privacy. At high temperatures, PNIPAM can undergo a "sol-gel" transition, thus blocking incident solar radiation. Taken together, these proposed materials with bidirectional optical response characteristics would be harnessed as a promising platform for building energy conservation, anti-counterfeiting, information encryption, and temperature monitoring.